The first perfect Arrancar
by aprilliarsv
Summary: This is my take on how the Bleach world would have changed if things had gone much different during Grand Fisher's attack when Ichigo was 9. ArrancarIchigo. Give it a shot!
1. Chapter 1

_Love, Lisa, Shinji, Kensei, Machiru, Hachigen, Hiyori, Rose. _

This is my take on how the world of Bleach may have changed if Ichigo's first encounter with Grand Fisher had gone differently. ArrancarIchigo. Give it a shot! 

**And so fell, the sword of fate**

Karakura Shipping District-Visord Warehouse

"God Damn it Machiru! Get away from me!"

A rather short and stocky man with strikingly grey hair had a look in his eyes that would have killed most. However, his target seemed unaffected. His target was his short, annoying, former lieutenant from over 100 years ago. She was much shorter than him, appearing no older than 15. However, the most noticeable part of her, was her hair, it was green. Not, just any green, it was lime green and there was nothing in the room to even compare it to.

What really pissed him off was that she was hanging from his leg while he was trying to train.

"Damn you! Why don't you leave me alone, and train!?"

Even though Kensei knew what was coming, that didn't stop his blood pressure from reaching levels that weren't safe, even for a Soul Reaper.

Machiru, dressed in her usual white jogging suit just put a pout on her face, and gave the man the most annoyed look she could muster, her arms never dislodging themselves from around his leg.

"No! Training is so boring! What is the point of it!?"

Kensei had about had it. Slowly; his hand began reaching behind his back, fingering the handle to the combat knife tucked in the back of his pants. Just as his hand grasped the instrument of death, a voice sounded out.

"**Bakudo # 4: Crawling Rope**"

In the blink of an eye, a bright yellow energy rope appeared from nowhere, wrapping around Machiru's waist and pulling her back, her arms flailing as she was forced to let go of Kensei.

Kensei followed the rope, only to see a very large man, he was about 6 foot and probably weighed over 400 lbs. He wore a strange green business suit while peacefully meditating. The yellow rope came from the air around him.

A different voice sounded out, this one bored, almost as if this was a standard occurrence, which it was.

"Hey, Hachi, let Kensei out, he needs some fresh air, I'm sure some time alone could also improve his disposition."

The large man answered back.

"As you wish, Shinj."

Kensei didn't have to look at him to know that his stupidly large grin showed off all his teeth. His short, straight blonde hair reaching just above his shoulders.

Kensei just gave Shinji a nod as a giant yellow cube appeared around the entire area, a rectangle, slightly larger than a door appearing clear, his obvious escape.

With a haphazard wave over his shoulder, Kensei disappeared in a blur, wanting to be away from his _prison _as soon as possible.

Downtown Karakura-Hidden Dragon Karate Studio

"Hey Momma, why are we going this way? I thought you liked to walk through the park."

Masaki Kurosaki looked down at her 9 year old son, Ichigo Kurosaki, a look of concerned curiosity in his soft amber eyes. A smile found itself on her face.

"Yes, I usually do. I just thought you might like to try a different way. Walking by the canal can be quite beautiful too. The way the moonlight reflects off the water… The way the grass there always smells as though a spring rain had just fallen… "

Ichigo's soft amber eyes never left his mother. In his eyes, she was the most beautiful woman in the world, and many would agree. She had wavy, light brown hair down to her back. Her eyes matched her son's soft amber eyes. She was his whole life. Some people would probably make fun of him for it, but he didn't care. He loved his mother more than anything in the world. If she wanted to walk along the canal…

"Ok Momma, you want to walk down the canal, I'll protect you the whole way!"

Masaki gave her son a joyed smile.

"I know you will, Ichigo, I know you will. That is what we named you after you know. 'The one who protects'."

Ichigo's eyes lit up with pride as they began their walk.

Ichigo and his mother were walking along the canal and Ichigo had to admit, his mother was right, as always.

"You were right mom. This is really beautiful."

Masaki turned to Ichigo with a smile and took her time to admire her oldest child. He was only 9 years old but very mature.

'_Unless I'm involved.'_

Masaki silently laughed to herself.

She continued with her observation, he had strikingly orange hair, which would have been strange if her own father didn't have similar hair.

She would have continued her observation, but she saw Ichigo's eyes go wide as he looked towards the canal.

Before she could even turn her head, an icy cold feeling buried itself deep inside her heart. She knew what was coming and couldn't stop the whisper.

"Hollow…"

Following her son's gaze, she was surprised to see a little girl, no older than her son looking at the water of the canal as though she was about to jump. In most cases she would have ran to help the girl, she seemed to be the source of the bitter cold feeling in her heart.

In order to make sure he didn't do anything, Masaki grabbed onto his shirt. At least, she tried.

"Oh no!"

It only took a second to locate her son; the boy was talking to the girl.

Swallowing her fear so that Ichigo wouldn't see it, she made her way to the two as quickly as possible, trying to hear the conversation.

"…What do you mean? Of course I can see you."

Slowly, the little raven hair girl's grin changed from happy to ecstatic, quickly reaching manic.

"You can see me, you can see me! _I'm so happy! Finally, someone who can see me! _**You're gonna taste so good!**"

Ichigo took a few, slow steps backwards until his mother grabbed his hand and they both made their way back.

Discreetly as possible, Masaki drew out her cell and began texting.

To: Isshin

Hllow hury

From: Masaki

"**Where do you think you're going? You really think I'll let such a tasty meal get away?**"

The almost demonic, echoing voice had Ichigo frozen in fear but Masaki wasn't going to let anything happen to him.

The voice was no longer coming from the little girl; the source was the canal itself. A shadowing figure could be seen, deep in the water.

As though to prove that point, the raven haired girl exploded in a shower of blood and gore, Masaki was to slow to shield Ichigo's eyes from the bloody mess.

Slowly, the water began to part; the first thing that could be seen was the top of a white mask. Instantly, Masaki's fear was confirmed.

Slowly, the rest of it followed. It greatly resembled a giant hamster. It was big, giant even, over 15 feet tall. The white mask had a huge grin on its face, promising pain and death. On top of the mask was a tentacle that lead to the lure, which since it was no longer the little girl, it was now more like a fishing lure.

For the first time since the encounter, Ichigo moved. He stood as tall as his small body could, he stood brave.

"I don't even know what you are, but you stay away from my Momma!"

If it was possible, the Hollow's smile became even more crazed.

"**HAHAHA! You're funny kid! Don't worry, I'm gonna eat you too. Women and children are the best, but I prefer children so I'm gonna eat your **_**Momma **_**first, and then I'll eat you! I'm the Grand Fisher! I've been evading the Soul Society for 48 years! What are you going to do!?**"

Fear and shock were the prominent emotions that Masaki was feeling.

Fear that her and her son would be killed by this monster, shock that her soft spoken, cry-baby son was able to stand up to such a heavy feeling. She couldn't even move, the spiritual pressure pressed upon her shoulders and made it feel as though she weighed 1,000lbs.

Kensei had calmed down a little while ago, but he knew if he returned now he would kill the green haired girl, so he continued his little walk.

Before he took another step, his footfall stopped.

'_Hmm, that's pretty impressive Spiritual Pressure. I'd be willing to bet that that Hollow will be a Gillian soon. Well, I wanted to kill something.'_

With a shrug of his shoulders, Kensei began to slowly jog in the direction of the Hollow, his zanpaktou; a combat knife was being twirled in his fingers.

It only took him a few minutes to arrive, and what he came to slightly shocked him.

The large Hollow was attacking a living person. A woman was right in front of the giant hamster, the Hollow was about to bite into her shoulder and devour her.

Kensei didn't even notice the boy leaning against the nearby tree for support; a rather large branch stabbed right through his stomach, his white gi was quickly becoming red.

Little Ichigo's eyes were watery, but angry as he saw the Hollow slowly approach his mother, her arms and legs bound by the same tentacles that sent him flying.

"M-Momma…MOMMA!"

With speed that Olympic track stars would be jealous of, Ichigo charged.

Kensei watched, interested as the woman continued to struggle in her binds.

With a shrug, Kensei grabbed his knife by the blade, toying with the weight; he grabbed it by the tip and aimed.

He cocked his arm back and was about to throw when he heard a shout, 'Momma'.

Sparing a quick glance, his opportunity was lost.

'_Damn it! If I throw now, I'll hit the boy, but if I don't…'_

Kensei's decision was made when the Hollow lunged, aiming for the woman but the child slammed into her side, pushing her out of the way, and the Hollow's teeth dug deeply into his flesh.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Masaki could only watch, horror stricken and teary eyed as her only son's soul was devoured by the Hollow.

Slowly, her eyes went dull and lifeless before she fell to the ground, alive but unconscious.

After the Hollow was sure he had the entirety of the boy's spiritual pressure, he gave an angry grunt.

"**Damn boy! I wanted to eat you second! Oh well, women are a close second to children…**"

The Hollow turned toward the now unconscious woman and began leaning down.

Now, Kensei knew he had to act, one human already died, and a child no less…

He arm cocked back and he let his blade fly.

Just as the small blade was going to impale his mask, the Hollow jerked, falling to the ground.

The zanpaktou sailed right passed.

"Damn it! Did he dodge? Return: Tachikaze."

In a swirl of wind, the flying knife disappeared, reappearing in Kensei's hand.

Looking at the Hollow, it was now on its back, rolling around, grasping his mask.

"**No! No! What is this Feeling!? Why is this happening!? No! No! I won't allow it! **_**M-Momma…**_** No! It won't! **_**You won't hurt my Momma!**_"

Kensei could only watch, shocked.

'_Is the boy taking over the Hollow's form? I thought that was impossible…'_

"**YOU WON'T HURT MY MOMMA!**"

Isshin Kurosaki was running through the streets, his black Shihakusho billowed in the wind, the white shoulder piece trailed behind him.

"Damn it! I have to hurry. I can sense them and the Hollow is strong!"

Even if everyone could see him, they wouldn't, all they would see was a blur. The second he saw the text from his wife, he swallowed the soul candy in the middle of cleaning the exam room and disappeared in shunpo.

He was almost there, maybe 10 seconds away, and the sight he came to would forever be imprinted in his mind. His 9 year old son, having shoved his wife away, was getting bitten by a large and powerful Hollow.

"No… Ichigo…"

Despair could be seen in his eyes.

Isshin was forced to watch as the Hollow spat his son on the ground, and eyed his wife hungrily.

The hollow only took a few steps before Isshin felt a burst of spirit energy and saw a small knife heading right for the Hollow's mask.

Isshin had contemplated stopping it, that was his kill to make, but as long as his son was sent to Soul Society instead of rotting in the stomach of a hollow.

However, he was in for a shock…

'_He dodged it!? No, it was an accident… What is happening to it?'_

Then he heard it…

'_MOMMA!? He's taking over!?'_

Isshin and Kensei could only watch, shocked as red and black spirit energy began to spiral around the Hollow's form.

As sudden as it had appeared, the energy was gone, leaving a very different Hollow in the center. This Hollow was small, strangely small. It was probably no taller than 4 feet. However, even with its small stature, it held a scary disposition.

The mask was a menacing human skull, three red tribal lines on the left side of his forehead and two under his eye. His eyes the usual Hollow; black and yellow. The rest of his form was just as scary, his feet were almost bird-like. His hands held short claws that could undoubtedly cause damage. A long tail swung behind him, the tip was pointed, obviously made for stabbing. On top of that, he was mostly white, with the acceptation of red wavy lines down his arms, legs, and tail. Also the tip of his tail was red. Ichigo's stark orange hair was visible from behind his mask.

The small Hollow struggled to get to his feet, obviously disoriented.

Isshin took a hesitant step forward.

"I-Ichigo?"

The Hollow's head turned to the new voice.

"**Dad?"**

Isshin had to force down the shudder at the Hollow's echoing voice. However, the underlying feel to it was all Ichigo.

"Yes, Ichigo. It's me."

Isshin turned to Kensei.

"Captain Muguruma. I need you to take my wife and get her to Kisuke. Guard her with your life."

Kensei spared a glance at the man that was once his comrade.

"You got it, Captain Kurosaki."

Kensei walked over to the unconscious Masaki and was about to pick her up when Ichigo's claws, red and black energy dancing on them nearly cut him in half.

"**STAY AWAY FROM MY MOMMA!**"

Isshin was in shock.

'_He should be trying to kill her. What the hell is going on? My only options are to knock him out, which may make him lose control of the body. Or trust my son's will and we can all go to Kisuke's.'_

"It's ok, Ichigo. Your mom is hurt. She needs help. Kensei here was just going to bring her to help."

A growl came from deep with Hollow Ichigo's chest.

"**I'll bring her!**"

With a deep sigh, Isshin spoke.

"Okay, Ichigo. Grab your mom. Let's get her some help."

With care and gentle that no Hollow had ever shown, Ichigo picked his unconscious mother up, carrying her bridal style.

Isshin gave Kensei a nod, silently telling him that they need to watch his actions in case he lost control.

The three began moving at a moderate pace, Hollow Ichigo, instinctually picking up the pace.

It was a matter of minutes after they began to make their way, and Ichigo seemed to be shaking.

"**D-dad… The voices…They say I need to eat her… why…WHY!?**"

Isshin's breath was labored now.

"Easy now Ichigo, just hand me your mother, you don't want to hurt her, do you?"

Ichigo seemed to shake his head violently.

"**N-No, but…**"

Guided by his willpower, Ichigo handed his beloved mother over to his father, the later giving a sigh of relief when she was in his arms.

"Ichigo, I need you to keep up. We're gonna move fast. Think you can?"

The menacing mask looked odd as it gave an unsure nod.

The three began running, running at a pace no one could even see.

Since picking up the pace, the three made it to their destination in minutes. However, Ichigo was confused as he read the sign.

"**U-Ura-Urahara S-Shoten? A candy store?**"

Isshin couldn't stop the slight chuckle.

"Kisuke Urahara is an old friend of your mom's and mine. He used to be a…Famous doctor. Until he wanted to settle down with his wife and children…Yeah, that's it!"

When Kisuke sensed Isshin, in Soul Reaper form with Kensei and a Hollow, standing outside, he was really confused.

Whatever he was expecting, it wasn't what he got.

"Uhhh, Isshin, why is there a Hollow with you?"

Isshin blew off his question.

"No time, Kisuke. My wife is hurt. Look."

Kisuke was shocked when he looked away from the small, yet menacing Hollow towards Isshin. Kisuke instantly noticed Masaki in his arms, the lifeless look in her eyes. However, he could clearly see her steady breathing.

With slow steps, Kisuke placed a hand upon her forehead. Several seconds later, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"She will be unconscious for several days, but she will be just fine. Her Soul Chain was damaged. It's likely due to an abundance of spirit energy. It is common after a Captain or Lieutenant had to fight a full power without a seal."

A look of understanding became apparent on both Kensei and Isshin's face. However, the Hollow still looked confused.

Isshin turned to the Hollow with a smile.

"Don't worry Ichigo. Your mom will be ok in a few days, she just needs rest."

Kisuke's eyes became saucers.

"Ichigo, as in, Ichigo-Ichigo?"

Isshin only gave a solemn nod.

"Kisuke, take a minute and tell the others, then Ichigo can put Masaki to bed while we talk."

Kisuke nodded and was gone, re-emerging seconds later.

"Ichigo,"

The Hollow turned to the strange blonde haired man.

"Walk down the hall and your third door on the right is Tessai, my assistant. He is preparing a room as we speak."

The Hollow nodded before speaking in a voice that sent shivers down all their spines.

"**Thank you.**"

The second he was gone, Kisuke turned to Isshin. His face was completely confused.

"What the hell!?"

Isshin just fell to his ass, not even bothering to go inside.

"I have no idea! I was cleaning up the clinic and I got a text from Masaki. All it said was 'Hllow hrry'. I was gone in a heartbeat. By the time I arrived, Ichigo had just been eaten by a large Hollow. I was shocked when I saw old Kensei there. He should have a better idea."

Kensei gave a short nod and gave a condensed story of everything he had seen.

Kisuke looked unsure.

"In all my years, I've never heard of someone overpowering the Hollow that ate them. That's crazy. The real question, what do we do?"

Isshin looked troubled. He knew the options.

"You're asking me if we kill my son, or leave him as a Hollow?"

Kisuke gave a sad nod.

Isshin spoke again.

"If-if he had just become another mindless Hollow, I would already have the answer. But, he is in control of his actions. He knows what he is doing, how do you just kill someone after that?"

Kisuke had only one answer.

"How long do you think he will be able to stay in control? The longer he goes without feeding the weaker he will get until eventually, he will just kill everyone he can get his hands on."

It was Kensei who spoke next.

"Then, let him feed. Bring him to Hueco Mundo so he can eat."

Kisuke and Isshin both nodded. It was an interesting idea.

"But what about living a life. He will forever look like a Hollow. Do you have a Gigai that could make him look human?"

Kisuke shook his head again.

"It would be impossible; I can alter looks slightly, but not that much."

Kensei spoke next.

"What about the Hogyoku?"

Both Kisuke and Isshin were deathly silent. That was an item they never spoke of.

When Kensei looked and saw their respective states, he spoke.

"Look, it will turn him into an Arrancar. That will give him a mostly human appearance. Plus, you can put him into a Gigai so that his sisters can see him."

The other two remained silent. Until a forth voice spoke up, this one belonging to a woman.

"I agree. The boy is in control of his actions, but as a regular Hollow, he'll lose it eventually. As you know, Kisuke, an Arrancar is less driven by instinct. They have access to emotions and rational thought."

The three turned to the entrance of the shop, there stood a beautiful woman with dark skin, purple hair and golden eyes. She was Yoruichi, Kisuke's oldest friend and Masaki's best friend.

Her usually playful golden eyes were very serious.

"I know that no matter what happens, Masaki will love Ichigo. I'm more worried about him scaring the girls. You were saying that you think Karin is going to be spiritually aware? I think that if she was afraid of him, it would be enough of an emotional shock to push him over the edge."

The two, undecided males both gave slight nods.

Kisuke stood from his spot on the stairs, heading inside.

"I-I'll set up the basement. Bring him down when you're ready."

Kisuke walked inside, Yoruichi following.

It was just Kensei and Isshin at that point. Kensei stood, clasping Isshin on the shoulder.

"I'm sorry this happened Isshin, maybe this is the better outcome."

With his piece said, Kensei began to make his way back to the hide out thinking about how a single, 9 year old child was able to overpower a pretty strong Hollow.

Meanwhile, in his private training ground below the Urahara Shoten, which was actually the size of a small city, Kisuke was making the preparations.

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Yoruichi?"

The purple haired woman shook her head as he set up the containment rods, just in case something went wrong.

"No, I'm not. This could be the biggest mistake of our lives. But then again, we should have been there to stop that from happening to him in the first place. We knew his energy levels were getting stronger; we knew he could see them. We also knew they would soon be attracted to his energy."

Kisuke could say nothing as he unsealed his greatest regret.

Isshin took a deep breath as he opened the door. Inside the room he saw Masaki, lying on the cot, with Ichigo, hiding in the corner. It seemed he was trying to become one with the wall.

"Is there a problem Ichigo?"

Through the shadowy room, Isshin could barely see the Hollow's head move up and down.

"What's wrong?"

…

"**H-Hungry**"

Isshin's eyes went wide as he figured it out.

He slowly, but assertively made his way over to his Hollowfied son.

"Well, Ichigo. I know how to make the hunger go away; you just need to follow me."

Ichigo looked desperately interested.

"**Gone?**"

Isshin just nodded and held out his hand for his son to grab.

Hesitantly, Ichigo's clawed hand roughly grabbed his father's hand and willed his feet to walk away from his mother.

Isshin had to force himself not to wince from the tight squeeze that Ichigo had on him. Looking at the Hollow's face, Ichigo didn't even realize it.

'_Of course he doesn't know he is so strong.'_

It was no time at all, before the two were deep underground, inside Kisuke's secret training ground.

"**W-what are you going to do?**"

However, Isshin didn't answer. He only continued to walk and Ichigo continued to be led by his father's hand.

Eventually, the two arrived in the center of a dozen small rods. Each stabbed in the ground in a circle that was about 15 feet across.

Kisuke held out his hand, gesturing for the boy to come to him. Ichigo glanced at his father, and received a nod.

Ichigo made his way to the center.

"Ichigo, I'm going to need you to kneel."

Hesitantly, Ichigo did just that.

"Good, are you ready?"

Ichigo took a deep breath and nodded.

Ichigo's eyes crossed as he watched the small, glowing stone get closer to his mask.

The instant the stone touched his mask, Ichigo's eyes widened.

He attempted to escape, but couldn't. Then the pain started. It started in his mask before slowly spreading throughout his entire body.

Isshin could only watch as pained whimpers escaped his son's mouth. Cracks began forming, starting first, with his mask before they began to move all along his body.

…

WOOSH!

The white armor that had surrounded Ichigo's body suddenly disintegrated into black and red spirit energy, in the wake of white, Ichigo was revealed…

**CHAPTER 1: COMPLETE!**

**I decided to write a cliffhanger, something I usually don't do. Just wanted to try something different. Anyways, you get the idea of this story. Ichigo is a Hollow but held onto his humanity and in an attempt to give him a chance at a normal-ish life, they turned him into an Arrancar. You will have to wait for Ch. 2 to see Ichigo's Arrancar form.**

**Please read and review, I'd like to know what you all thought I did right, wrong…**

**Funny story: I was cooking dinner the other day, and I dropped the butcher knife I was using. Well, it landed wrong and the wood of the handle broke off. At first I was like damn…then I took a closer look. I was like: Holy shit! Miniature Zangetsu! I mean, I knew it looked like a steak knife but damn. It is **_**exact. **_**Makes you wonder how most of the swords were designed. **


	2. Chapter 2

Welcome to Chapter 2. I hope you all thoroughly enjoyed the first. Well, you're reading this, so you obviously liked it enough. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this next one. I'm beginning to work on the long term map out. 

**Adapting to Fate's choice**

"**Hado # 31: Red Flame Cannon!**"

Ichigo easily jumped into the air, the large ball of red fire flying below him.

"Pay attention!"

Ichigo's eyes widened as he looked up, a shadowed figure was descending upon him, their fist raised, ready to smash him into the ground.

With a deep breath, Ichigo gathered spirit particles and formed a wall, he dodged the strike by kicking off the created wall. He landed on his back, having been unable to recover in time.

If he thought he had time to rest, he was wrong.

"**Getsuga Tensha!**"

Ichigo's eyes widened and he narrowly rolled away from the crescent of blue spirit energy. The attack tore a 5 foot trench in the ground where he had fallen.

In an instant, 10 year old Ichigo Kurosaki was on his feet, pointing an accusing finger at his attacker.

"Hey! No fair! Mom said you couldn't use that anymore!"

An innocent look crossed the face of one, Isshin Kurosaki. He was soon joined by the other combatants.

Yoruichi Shihoin stepped forward, ruffling the young boy's hair.

"Not bad kid, I thought for sure I had you. That was a good move. You just barely learned how to make platforms out of spirit particles and you're already putting it to good use."

Next was Tessai Tsukabishi, he approached the young boy and held his hand out, the two quickly shook, before the large man spoke.

"Your reaction time is second to none. I reduced the power of that last spell in order to increase its speed. You still had no trouble dodging."

Before anyone could react, Isshin ran up to his son, grabbing him in a headlock.

"And me! You barely dodged the only time I attacked you! I'm very disappointed. Now my son will never be able to get a girlfriend and I'll never get grandchildren!"

Ichigo just gave his father an elbow to the ribs.

"Can't you be quieter?"

A wounded look crossed Isshin's face. Most would believe he was completely innocent. Everyone in the room knew better.

The final person to walk forward was Kisuke Urahara. His wooden sandals were clicking along the ground.

"Me, my test was the most impressive of all. During that entire fight, I broke 24 Hollow Bait capsules and not once did you react with more than a twitch. Ichigo, you are ready to go home."

Slowly, a smile crossed his face. It continued to grow until all those present thought his face was going to split.

"Home… What's it been? 9 months?"

Yoruichi corrected him.

"Only 5, kid."

Ichigo cocked his head to the side.

"Oh, well it feels like 9."

Everyone was smiling in happiness. Kisuke stepped up, placed his hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Ichigo, do you want this on your Gigai? It will only take a second to finish either way."

Kisuke's fingers gently ran over the skin of his face, tracing over the red marks that symbolized his mask.

When it had happened, everyone was shocked. His mask was completely gone, leaving only the five red marks. They looked as though they were tattoos.

"I think I want them. I've been living with them for five months and it would be weird without them."

Kisuke just nodded and went to work.

Isshin walked up to his son next, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Your mom and sisters will be here in about 5 minutes. They're all really excited to see you. Remember, your sisters and everyone else thinks you've been in a hospital in America after saving your mother from getting hit by a car. So, keep the Hollow talk to a minimum. Also, Kensei will come over every two weeks and take you to Hueco Mundo."

Ichigo nodded, tears in his eyes. Finally, after so long, he was going to see his mom again. It felt like so long and he couldn't wait.

"Here you are Ichigo."

When he turned, he saw that Kisuke was carrying his body over his shoulder. The blonde haired man gently laid the soulless body down.

"This is my most advanced Gigai so please be careful with it. It was expensive to make. Try not to make a habit of it, but if you just leave your body without a soul, it will artificially breathe and its pulse will remain. It will seem as though you are in a coma. I'll give you this, too. It is a mod-soul I've had laying around. I'm sure you can find a dog or something to put it in. He'd like that."

In the pocket of the Gigai, Kisuke placed a small green pill and a red glove with a skull surrounded by blue fire on the palm.

"Go ahead…"

Ichigo nodded and laid down on his new Gigai, instantly becoming one with it.

"Well, what do you think?"

Ichigo stretched slightly. He immediately noticed that his muscles were weaker.

"It's kind of stuffy. Plus, I feel so weak."

Everyone in the basement nodded.

"That's pretty standard. Just remember about your lack of strength when doing things like climbing ladders."

Kisuke pointedly looked at the ladder that led to the store, it was easily 200ft in the air.

A buzz from Isshin's pocket got all their attention.

"She's here, you ready?"

Ichigo was only able to manage a shaky nod.

Father and son both began the accent. Ichigo practically flew up the stairs. For someone who wanted to protect his family, being away from them for 5 months is a pain.

The second he gets up from the hidden door, he hears two yells.

"Itsigo! Itsigo!"

Upon turning, he is knocked over by two little bundles. Upon getting a closer look, he immediately recognized them.

"Karin? Yuzu? Wow, you girls got so big!"

Both girls beamed up at him. Happy he was back.

Yuzu yelled up, big crocodile tears in her eyes.

"Itsigo! I'm so happy your back! It wan't the same!"

Meanwhile, Karin pointed an accusing finger at his face.

"You got a ta- a ta- a… What's that word Mommy?"

Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu all turned to Masaki, she had been watching the whole event with tears brimming in her eyes.

With a smile she swept down and gathered all her children into a giant hug.

"A tattoo honey, and no, it's not. It's a scar, a scar he got to protect me."

The group of four just sat there, relishing in the fact that they were all there so they could have a group hug. They must have been like that for 10 minutes, when Isshin came up and gathered them all into a huge hug, lifting them all off the ground.

"Hey! Kurosaki family group hug and no one invited me!?"

The whole family laughed at the man's antics.

After Isshin put everyone back on the ground and ruffled the girls' heads, he snuck over and gave his wife a peck on the lips.

A smile, the likes which hasn't been seen on the Kurosaki mother's face in months was unyielding. Nothing could kill her wonderful mood. Her son, whom she thought was dead, was back in their lives and seemed to be as happy as before.

"Hey, let's go home."

Everyone turned to her when she spoke.

"The clinic hasn't felt like home in a long time. I think that's about to change."

A smile was on everyone's face. The happy family began to walk home. They had made it about half way, and the two younger girls' energy was ebbing. The day had been rather exciting.

Isshin quickly picked up Yuzu and put her on his shoulders and Masaki was about to pick little Karin up, when Ichigo got an idea.

He ducked down, and gestured to his back. With a smile on the raven haired girl's face, she charged before jumping and landing on his back.

The young boy, easily supported her weight, but it was harder than he expected.

By the time they had arrived at the clinic, both Yuzu and Karin were fast asleep. The two men put the girls to sleep and went downstairs, only to see Masaki staring at a photo of them all. It had been taken about 2 months before the accident.

"You know, Ichigo, I was worried you weren't going to come back."

Ichigo had a much too mature look on his face as he approached him mom and grabbed her hand.

"I'm not going anywhere. There is too much to protect."

A smile crossed Masaki's face.

"Can I see it?"

Ichigo nodded and handed his dad the glove Kisuke had given him.

Isshin hit the boy in the head and his body fell to the ground. Well, one of them did. The Ichigo she had been hugging all day was on the ground. An only slightly different one remained standing.

He wore a pair of black hakama, a white sash and a ragged black jacket with an upturned collar. The inner lining of his jacket is white, the sleeves were rolled up. The jacket was open and his surprisingly muscular chest was bare, his Hollow hole could be seen right over his heart. A hilt stuck over his shoulder, it was wrapped in black cloth. (Think Grimmjow's clothes, just reverse colors. Just for future reference, he uses Hichigo's reverse colored Zangetsu)

"Wow, you look the same."

With tentative steps, she walked up, placing her hand on his cheek before trailing it down to the hole where his heart should be. She lightly touched around it, getting him to laugh slightly.

"Stop it, Mom… That tickles."

Just like that, any uncertainties she had were gone.

An overwhelming smile once again overtook her face.

"Tatsuki has been asking where you're at. I think she wants you to go back to the Dojo. I think someone has a crush on my little strawberry."

Ichigo's face went red, from embarrassment about the crush or being called strawberry, no one could be sure.

The three settled on the couch, just watching TV. They had already caught up on everything; they just didn't want to leave each other's comforting presence.

It didn't take long for Ichigo to fall asleep, clutching to his mom's arm.

The two adults shrugged and fell asleep too, relishing in having their son back.

9 Days Later

'Pant' "You're really good, 'Pant' Tatsuki." 'Pant'

Said raven haired girl just smirked. Sweat glistened from her skin, her gi stuck to her small frame as she too breathed heavily.

"Don't you know it! I'm going to be the strongest in the world!"

The teacher came over to the two of them.

"That was wonderful you two! Tatsuki, looks like you need to work on your ducking..."

The instructor lightly rubbed the forming bruise on her right cheek.

Tatsuki quickly bowed to the man.

"Yes, Master Conan. Now, that there is someone in my age group that can give me a challenge I have no doubt I'll quickly improve!"

The now named Master Conan just chuckled. He was an older man; he was now in his 50s and hadn't competed since a bad car crash left him with a broken back nearly 30 years ago. But that wouldn't keep him away from his passion, it turned out the man loved teaching even more than competing. He was fairly tall, about 5' 9" with short, salt and pepper hair.

"And man, Ichigo! I must say, very impressive. Your moves were crisp and clean, very impressive. What have you been doing in these last six months?"

Suddenly, the happy atmosphere got tense. Master Conan seemed to sense it immediately but didn't know what he said.

Masaki, who had been watching the spar, looked at Ichigo questioningly. Did he want her to tell them, or did he want to do it.

Ichigo took a deep breath.

"I spent the last 5 months in a hospital in America after I got hit by a car."

Ichigo lightly gestured to his face. The man's eyes went wide with shock and worry.

"Oh, I'm so sorry."

A small smile crossed Ichigo's face.

"Don't be. I'd let it happen a million times more for the results."

Now the man was confused.

"The results?"

Masaki decided to finish the story for him. The eavesdropping parents would believe it if it came from her.

"He saved my life."

Everyone turned to her, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"You obviously don't watch the news. A man had been drinking and driving and we were walking down the sidewalk. He swerved off the road and was going to hit us both, but Ichigo pushed me out of the way at the last second. The car almost missed him too but clipped the side of his head. Dr. Ryuuken, Chief of Medicine at Karakura General, suggested we send him to America for treatment. Which we did, he only just returned a little more than a week ago."

Everyone in the room was star stuck. When he first arrived, everyone thought he was a young delinquent with tattoos, in actuality he was something of a hero.

Without a second delay, Tatsuki punched him in the arm.

"Don't go getting a big head because you're a hero!"

Just like that, the tension was broken, and Ichigo sent a smirk her way.

"Just don't let up, or you might be the one leaving with more than one bruise next time."

Tatsuki just smirked as she eyed his face. He had a black eye, swollen lip and a good sized bruise on his cheek.

"Keep dreaming!"

Ichigo waved as he was leaving.

Ichigo held his mom's hand as they made their way down the street; his heart was beating rapidly in his chest. Masaki smiled down at him with an understanding look. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze. It seemed to calm him down, if only slightly.

They had made it about half way when Masaki spoke.

"So, you definitely got better… You and Tatsuki put on quite the show. She actually reminds me a lot of me when I was younger. She is brash and has a hard exterior, but on the inside she really cares for her friends and would do anything to keep them safe."

Ichigo gave his mom a crazy look.

"You were like Tatsuki?"

She nodded with a huge smile on her face.

"Oh yeah. I was rated # 4 in women's unarmed combat! You think your father's crazy, you should have met mine. He originally wanted a son, so when other little girls got dolls, I got a new punching bag hung up in my room."

Ichigo couldn't stop staring at his mom in shock.

"R-really?"

Masaki's gentle smile stretched across her whole face.

"Yea, I was a badas- I mean I was good."

Masaki had a light blush across her face, and Ichigo had a shocked look on his face.

"M-mom… You almost cussed!"

Just as she was about to say something she looked up and sighed in relief.

"Oh, look. We're home!"

It seemed that the girls were on her side, as they ran outside, in their pajamas.

Karin reached him first and immediately grabbed his leg.

"Itsigo! Can you tuck us in?"

Yuzu wasn't far behind, grabbing his other leg.

"Yeah, Itsigo! Please!"

Not that he was going to refuse, but any thoughts of it were blown out of the water by two 'Puppy dog looks'.

With an exaggerated sigh, Ichigo nodded.

"Alright…"

Karin and Yuzu both began jumping up and down.

"Yay Itsigo!"

With a huge smile on his face, Ichigo quickly swept up both girls, carrying one under each arm. Both girls were giggling uncontrollably and Masaki just watched with a small, content smile.

Isshin walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"He's going to be a great father."

Masaki turned to her husband.

"Yep, just like you."

The two shared a quick kiss and went inside.

Ichigo was pacing back and forth in his room. He was supposed to leave four hours ago, but Kensei had yet to arrive. Just as he was about to make another trip around his room, a voice came from his window.

"Hey Brat! Let's go!"

Ichigo moved quickly, jumping out the window and landed next to his guide in the world of Hollows.

"Ready Brat?"

Ichigo just nodded and waved to his mother, who he knew was watching from the kitchen window.

A slight burst of yellow energy and Ichigo was pressured by Kensei's enormous spiritual pressure. Ichigo looked over and saw that Kensei had once again pulled on his mask. It resembled a hockey, goalie mask.

Slowly, he pointed a single finger. It almost sounded as though they were about to sucked in by a vacuum when they were gone.

In what felt like milliseconds, the two reappeared in the vast expanse of Hueco Mundo.

"So, what took you so long? You were late today."

Kensei nodded as he pulled off his mask, allowing it to disintegrate. He shrugged his shoulders.

"Their getting suspicious. I wouldn't be surprised if they start to follow me."

Ichigo looked surprised.

"Is it that bad to let them know?"

Kensei shrugged.

"Not really. But you have to remember, we had this forced on us by a madman. While not in the same situation, we forced this on you. They may take that as an act of betrayal."

Ichigo didn't really understand what he was talking about, but he knew them better and it wasn't his place.

The two had been slowly walking towards the entrance of the forest below.

As they were walking, Kensei started talking.

"You seemed a little antsy when I was late. Is the two weeks to long?"

Ichigo sighed heavily.

"I don't know, remember last time we had to cut our trip short because of that Vasto Lorde in the area. I wasn't full when we left. But yeah, I didn't even get close to an incident or anything, but I could feel the underlying hunger. It just had me worried."

Kensei nodded in understanding.

"Ok, I'll talk to Kisuke, and we will have to do this every week."

After about 10 minutes, the two had reached the entrance to The Forest of Menos.

With a deep sigh, Ichigo's hand reached back, grabbing the hilt of his sword. Nearly instantly, the wrapping unwrapped, revealing what looked like a steak knife, the black wrapping shortening to manageable lengths, began to flow in the natural breeze of Hueco Mundo.

The small boy held the sword that was as long as he was straight ahead of him, the bandages wrapping around his arm.

"See you in a little, Kensei. **Breach the boundaries of heaven and earth: Zangetsu**!"

The elegant cleaver like sword began to melt into red and black spirit energy. The energy moving down the sword until it started to cover his arm, followed by his whole body.

When the sword was finally gone, what stood was Ichigo's menacing Hollow form.

"You good, kid?"

The Hollow turned to the former captain for a second before nodded.

"**Yeah, I feel great.**"

Kensei nodded as the Hollowfied boy didn't hesitate to jump.

Ichigo had a huge smile on his face. He loved the feeling of being able to let loose and just follow his instincts.

It didn't take long for the humanoid Hollow to come across his first prey. It was a large, centipede-like Hollow. It didn't even see him coming when Ichigo jumped onto it's back, stabbing it with his tail and easily devouring the beasts mask.

His body refreshed with the energy from the fallen Hollow, Ichigo couldn't stop himself from letting out a Hollow roar, telling every Hollow in the area that they were his prey.

Two Hours Later

Ichigo let off another roar, he had just eaten his 31st hollow in this trip and he felt great.

However, that was also when he felt it. It was powerful, but not scarily so. However, there seemed to be dozens, if not hundreds of them.

With interest, Ichigo found himself salivating at the thought of consuming so much energy at once.

However, he quickly found the source, unfortunately, it also found him. It was probably, 3 stories tall. Its mask was blank white with an elongated nose and its whole body was draped with a black cloak, spikes coming from the collar.

Ichigo was in the middle of contemplating his next move, fight or flight. However, the choice was made for him when the beast's mouth opened. A large amount of red energy began forming.

Ichigo's instincts were screaming the name of the attack.

"**C-Cero…**"

Then the attack was launched and his whole being screamed at him to move, something he was eagerly ready to do.

Ichigo barely dodged the attack and found himself contemplating a plan of attack. He just decided to go with his instincts. They took him running to the tallest tree which reached the monster's neck.

With a gleam in his eyes, Ichigo jumped straight into the air, placing himself well above the now confused Hollow.

Using the control he had, a wall formed behind Ichigo, and the boy wasted no time in kicking off of it, his clawed hand in front of him. He landed against the mask with a thud. His arm buried to the elbow.

Before the giant could even move, Ichigo's mouth opened and he bit into the Hollow's mask.

A roar of pain came from the mouth of the Menos. It attempted to grab him, but its arms were just a little too short, allowing Ichigo free reign over consuming the huge source of energy.

Ichigo finished consuming the mask of the Menos in minutes, not allowing even a drop of that magnificent energy escape him. He had never felt so full in his life.

Just as he was about to approach Kensei, prepared to leave, he turned and saw a sea of red dots.

Ichigo just cocked his head to the side, confused as to what it was, and then he sensed it. And saw it. Dozens of red Ceros were heading right for his direction. He needed to move, fast.

Acting on instinct, he put energy behind him, and he was gone, disappearing in a slight sonic boom.

He reappeared, wide-eyed over two hundred feet from where he was just at. He couldn't believe it.

However, he wasn't the only one who noticed. The army of Hollows slowly turned to him red Ceros already being prepared in their mouths.

Ichigo didn't know what to do, so he relied on his instinct once again.

In a sonic boom, he was gone again. This time in the center of one of the Menos' mask. Not one to give up a free meal, Ichigo bit down, relishing in the feel of his energy boost.

It turned out that the Hollows didn't care who got killed in their wake as Ichigo barely managed to disappear, seconds before half a dozen Ceros destroyed his meal.

Kensei could only watch, shocked.

"Is that… Sonido? It has to be. Man, Hollows really do learn on instinct. Maybe after he actually learns it, he could teach me."

Nearly an hour later, and the Menos were finally gone. The second he was alone and Kensei was right next to him he hit the ground. Ichigo quickly faded back to his normal form. His cleaver forming from the same red and black energy it disappeared in.

"What's wrong? Are you ok?"

Ichigo slowly nodded, never looking up. He moaned as though he was on his death bed. Kensei was actually concerned for the boy.

"So, full…"

Kensei was unable to stop the face-fault.

Kensei casually walked up to the warehouse and walked in, what he saw, he wasn't expecting. All the Visored were all assembled, waiting.

"Look, we know that none of us are the other's boss. But you need to spill on where you've been going. You leave every two weeks like clockwork. Only to return later that day, having spent all your energy, what the hell is going on?"

With a sigh, Kensei thought back to what Kisuke had told him.

"If you must tell them, in order to continue. Then tell them."

He took a seat on the chair in front of all of them.

"I've helping Kisuke."

Their eyes went wide, they didn't expect that. Hiyori was especially curious.

"With what?"-Hiyori

"A boy."-Kensei

…

"You're training a kid?"-Shinji

…

"No, not really."-Kensei

"Then what are you doing with him!?"-Hiyori

By this point, everyone was getting pretty aggravated, especially Kensei and Hiyori.

"Fine! Every two weeks, I bring a 10 year old Arrancar to Hueco Mundo so he can feed, keeping his hunger under control so that he can continue to live with his family!"

You could have heard a pin-drop at that point.

Shinji's smile was no longer on his face, replaced with a baffled look.

The blonde haired man stuck his pinky in his ear in an attempt to clean it out.

"Say that again?"

Kensei just gave everyone a look that said. 'You heard what I said.'

Shinji nodded slowly, still unsure.

"I'm sure there is more to the story, so why don't you explain it all?"

With a sigh, Kensei explained what had happened that night six months ago…

…

"Bullshit!"

Kensei just shook his head at Hiyori.

"I don't give a rat's ass if you believe me. You asked, I told."

With that Kensei got up.

"I've had a long day and I'm tired. Goodnight."

The rest of the Visored sat up, talking for several hours about what should be done. They came up with one answer.

During his next trip, Shinji was going to go with…

**Chapter 2: Complete**

**I actually finished both these chapters in one day! I'm usually a really slow writer. Anyways, I think it turned out pretty well. Probably going with a Time-Skip for my next chapter. I was thinking of skipping to right before season 1 and having a strangely powerful Hollow attack Ichigo's school, leading Ishida to learn of him, along with giving the others, namely Tatsuki, Chad, and Orihime a boost. Then have Soul Society pick up all the Hollow energy, resulting in Rukia's deployment to Karakura.**

**Please read and review! I want to know what everyone thinks.**

**In my story, Tatsuki will have powers of her own! She is way more badass than Orihime and the girl who won't hurt anyone is the one with the powers… That is dumb. Not to mention the fact that she had known Ichigo the longest, she should have been exposed to more of his spirit energy.**


	3. Chapter 3

Ok, here comes Chapter 3. If you really like the first two, I hope I can meet your expectations, on the other hand, if you haven't been overly impressed, hopefully, I can change your mind. Here it goes! Just so you know, Time-Skip in this chapter. I will do what I can to lay out any changes and most developments. That is all I have… Enjoy!

**Fighting Fate**

Ichigo tried to duck under the right hook, but his opponent was too fast. He ended up on his back, a quickly forming bruise on his left cheek.

"**Point, Blue! 2-2! This is it everybody! Next point wins! Don't forget, the winner here will get the honor of representing Karakura Town in the National Unarmed Combat Competition next month in Tokyo!**"

A smirk crossed Tatsuki's face as the cheers shook the entire building.

"You're good Ichigo, I'll give you that, but you won't win!"

A smirk of his own crossed Ichigo's face as he dropped into his stance.

"You know, people only banter during a fight if their too weak and need an advantage."

Tatsuki's playful eyes were gone, replaced with those of someone who was ready to deliver a beat-down.

Ichigo couldn't help but sigh.

'_Mom always says I need to think before I speak.'_

The ref glanced at both, Ichigo and Tatsuki, getting a nod from each. The man placed the microphone to his mouth, a grin forming.

"**Both competitors are ready! Begin!**"

Instantly, Tatsuki charged, her right hand rose to land a powerful haymaker to Ichigo's face. However, he saw through her simple trick.

At the last second, her leg was raised, going for a round kick to his head. Ichigo wasn't so easily fooled and his head tilted back, just enough for her foot to pass harmlessly.

He wasted no time in raising his arm, attempting a jab towards her jaw. She performed a very acrobatic back hand-spring, dodging the hit and narrowly missed his head with her foot.

When she stood, both were still breathing heavily on the opposite sides of the ring. The crowd was dead quiet.

Almost as if it was choreographed, they both charged, ready to end the fight.

In a burst of speed that shocked Ichigo, Tatsuki spun around his right cross, ending up behind him. The orange haired boy only had enough time for his eyes to widen when the heel of Tatsuki's foot slammed into the back of his head, sending him to the ground.

"**WINNER IS BLUE! WINNER IS BLUE! 15 YEAR OLD TATSUKI ARISAWA IS OUR CHAMPION! FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE HISTORY OF JAPAN A WOMAN WILL COMPETE IN THE NATIONAL UNARMED COMBAT COMPETITION!**"

It was clear that the announcer was excited. He practically teleported over to Tatsuki and Ichigo, the two having just finished a quick hug.

"**So tell me, I understand you both train at the same Dojo?**"

The man placed the mike in Tatsuki's face.

"Yeah! The Hidden Dragon Dojo of Karakura! Master Conan has helped guide us since we were both kids! I can say, without a shadow of a doubt, I wouldn't have made it nearly as far without his help!"

The man wasted no time in moving the mike over to Ichigo's face.

"**Anything to add?**"

Ichigo had a huge smile on his face. He may have just lost, but he had a great time.

"Not really, I've been training with Master Conan since I was 7, and it was the best decision of my life so far!"

The cheering continued and the announcer moved the mike back to his mouth.

"**So tell me, Tatsuki. How does it feel to make history? You've gone a long way today in showing the world that women can be just as strong as men!**"

Tatsuki playfully stuck out her tongue at Ichigo.

"It feels great! That is actually one of my dreams in life! Ever since I was a little girl I've been hearing; you're a girl you can't do this, or you can't do that! Well I am proud to say, I've never let it get me down and here I am!"

The announcer glanced to the side and saw two groups eagerly waiting. They were obviously Ichigo's and Tatsuki's parents.

"**Well, it looks like I'm going to have to cut this short. Just one more question, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO TO ALL THOSE GUYS AT THE N.U.C.C.!?**"

An evil smirk crossed her face as she grabbed the mike from the announcer.

"**I'M GONNA MAKE THEM CRY LIKE THE LITTLE GIRLS THEY ARE!**"

The cheering shot through the roof as Karin and Yuzu couldn't wait any longer. The two charged forward. Yuzu was instantly in Ichigo's arms, and unsurprisingly, Karin did the same to Tatsuki.

Karin spoke first, loud enough for the mike to pick it up.

"Way to go Tatsuki! You sure showed brother who the real little girl is!"

The crowd instantly started laughing at seeing a 9 year old girl talk smack to her older brother.

Yuzu was none-too happy though.

"Don't say that Karin! Ichigo did great too!"

Karin just crossed her arms, looking away.

"Tatsuki is obviously stronger! Girls rule and boys drool!"

It was at that time that Masaki walked up.

"Karin, Yuzu, I think Tatsuki's parents would like to congratulate her."

The two little girls looked over a saw two raven haired people waiting, smiles on their faces.

The woman turned to Masaki.

"No, no worries. How about we stop and get something to eat on the way home? I think the kids would like that."

Ichigo, Tatsuki, Karin and Yuzu all instantly agreed on that.

Following Day

Isshin stood in front of Kisuke, a serious look on his face.

"You've felt it also, I know you have. Even if you haven't there is no way someone could be that fast without using their spirit energy."

Kisuke just sighed and nodded.

"Yes, I agree. Although I must say, that girl is really backwards. She is accessing her larger than normal energy reserves and still can't see spirits. Although, I doubt it will be very long at all until she can."

Isshin nodded.

"Do we tell her?"

Kisuke had already begun shaking his head, before Isshin could finish.

"No, if she can't see the spirits. She won't believe us."

Isshin nodded at that.

"So, what about Ichigo? I don't think he has even noticed."

Kisuke sat down in thought.

"I say, you go with the easy option. Watch for her to notice spirits, and then let Ichigo tell her."

Isshin just sweat-dropped before nodding.

"Ok, I'll see you soon later Kisuke."

Kisuke just absently waved as his best friend scurried up the humungous ladder.

Following Monday: School

Ichigo sighed; he kept getting flak from his teachers for not doing his homework.

'_Tch. Not my fault. First the competition, then I had to go to Hueco Mundo…'_

Ichigo broke himself out of his musings when a piece of paper hit him in the face, he glanced to the side and saw Tatsuki looking at him, pointedly.

Grabbing the ball of paper, Ichigo opened it, as discreetly as possible.

What did you do to piss off Ishida? He's been glaring at you all morning.

Ichigo took a quick glance around the class before writing below her line and tossed it back.

However, it hit the corner of Tatsuki's desk and rolled towards the front of the room, right to the teacher's feet. Much to both, Ichigo's and Tatsuki's annoyance.

"Well, seems like you two don't find my class very interesting."

The professor specifically glared at the two, they were always disrupting class.

"Well, then, let's see what you wrote. Maybe if it's something embarrassing, it will teach you a lesson."

The two teens just shared a shrug, neither really cared.

The teacher began to read from the note.

"What did you do to piss off Ishida? He's been glaring at you all morning."

Everyone in the room turned back to the raven haired boy with glasses, he looked shocked that he was dragged into this.

"And Ichigo replied with…"

A sweat-drop formed from the teacher's head.

"Who the hell is Ishida?"

It seemed as if the whole class face-faulted, and Ishida's glare was even stronger than before.

"Anyways, that wasn't as interesting as I expected. You two, pay attention or I'll have you in detention! Now, someone tell me what type of rhyme that was."

1st through 4th period went normal, with the new addition of Ishida glaring at him, Ichigo barely even noticed though.

It was now 5th period, and Ichigo was getting antsy. He had learned that he should always listen to his instincts, and for the last 20 minutes they had been screaming that something bad was about to happen.

Bad sure as hell happened.

It was half way through Ichigo's fifth period when he heard a sound he would never forget. It sounded as though the very dimension was ripping.

Ichigo's eyes were wide in fright. He wasted no time in digging through his pocket, pulling out the glove, putting it on a slamming himself in the back of the head, pushing his spirit from his body. With the current situation, having a few classmates see him 'knock himself out' was the least of his worries.

If anyone were to look, it appeared as if he had gone to sleep.

Right behind his Gigai, Ichigo stood proudly.

Ishida had yet to let up on his glaring. He had seen him. Him! A guy in his class room was a Soul Reaper! And he had no idea!

However, at this point in time, he couldn't dwell on that, when he felt an enormous spiritual pressure. If it wasn't so far away, it would likely crush most of the class.

Just as he was about to raise his hand and ask to be excused, he saw Ichigo put a glove on his hand.

'_What are you doing?'_

His answer was given when he hit himself in the back of the head and released his spirit form from his body.

'_I see, so that is how it works…'_

Ishida saw Ichigo easily jump from the window, no fear of being injured by the fall.

'_That spiritual pressure is getting closer! Is it heading here?'_

"Ms. Ochi! I need the bathroom!"

Without waiting for a response, Ishida stood up and ran, as fast as he could from the room.

Tatsuki sighed as she looked at the homework she was going to have tonight.

She spared a glance at her best friend, Ichigo. She had been hearing things lately. They seemed like roars, or yells. For some reason, she was convinced that he was the center of it all.

Suddenly, she heard something; it was like a ripping noise.

Just as she was about to ask the teacher what it was, she saw that nobody else made any move about it. That is, except for Ichigo and Ishida.

They both seemed to be panicking; Ichigo began sifting through his pockets. She saw he seemed to grab something, but all she saw was a blur. He seemed to place it on his hand before hitting himself in the head. His body slumped.

However, that is not what she was looking at, standing above her friend, was an odd blur. It seemed vaguely humanoid, but she couldn't really tell much about it. She watched as it went unnoticed in the class, heading straight for the window and jumping.

She was about to excuse herself when Ishida beat her to it, running from the class like the hounds of hell were on his tail.

'_I'll give everyone a minute to settle down from his little outburst.'_

Then she heard it, it was louder, and clearer than any she had heard before. It was without a doubt, a roar.

"Ms. Ochi! Bathroom!"

Much like, Ishida, she sprinted from the room. She went as far as to jump straight over another classmate's desk.

She quickly made it to the hall but didn't know where to go.

"Damn! Well, it sounded pretty close! I should be able to find it from the roof!"

Without a second delay, she ran to the left, heading right for the stairs, taking them four at a time.

**Bang!**

Tatsuki quickly looked around; the first thing she saw was Ishida near the edge, looking over the rail with an interested expression on his face.

He turned to her with a shocked expression before adjusting his glasses.

"I shouldn't be surprised to see you here. It was only a matter of time, with the amount of time you two spend together."

Tatsuki looked at the glasses wearing boy like he was stupid.

"You really don't know why you see them?"

Now she was getting impatient. She cracked her knuckles and succeeded in looking intimidating.

"I don't see anything!"

He looked slightly surprised by that. Ishida pointed out, to the soccer field.

"You're telling me, you don't see him?"

Following Ishida's finger, Tatsuki looked and wasn't all that surprised to see a slight distortion at one point of the grass.

"Barely, it's just a blur."

Ishida listened to her before nodding slowly.

"Very strange, your spiritual pressure is high enough that you should be able to see and interact with spirits but yet you can't even see them fully."

Tatsuki had to stop him, right there.

"Spirits?"

Ishida didn't even spare her a glance.

"Yes, those blurs you see are spirits, those who have since passed from this plane and have been unable to move on for one reason or another."

She looked very unconvinced but before she could speak, the same ripping sound could be heard. This one was much louder, and much closer.

"What is that?"

Ishida's eyes were wide and his hand moved of its own volition, pointed towards the source.

When Tatsuki followed his finger, she saw that nearly the entire sky was distorted. She couldn't see anything.

"I can't see it, what is it?"

Ishida shook his head.

"I have no idea; I've never seen such a thing."

Ichigo couldn't believe what he was seeing; it was without a doubt a Garganta.

"Why the hell would one open here of all places?"

As soon as the mouth-like portal was fully open, a Menos Grande could be seen. It almost seemed to laugh at him before letting out a monstrous roar.

"You want to fight, I'll fight."

Just as Ichigo was about to head for the giant hollow, he was shocked. Hundreds or regular hollows began flooding from the portal.

"I've never fought this many before."

It seemed as though he was the main target, since the first dozen or so hollows headed right for him.

"Damn, and so close to the school…"

The orange haired Arrancar grabbed the hilt of his cleaver, the bandages instantly dispersing, and shortening to a few feet.

"HHHHAAAAAA!"

In an instant, Ichigo closed the distance and sliced through the first hollow, all he noticed was that it was dog-like.

Ichigo didn't have any time to admire his work when he dodged a snake-like hollow he brought his blade on the back of the hollow's head.

"Let's get wild!"

Before the flying bird-like hollow could even register what was happening, Ichigo's zanpakuto was imbedded into its mask, disintegrating it.

Ichigo gave a smirk, his hand yanking back on the bandages attached to his zanpakuto, he let the momentum carry it back and spinning it rapidly and letting it fly again, this time slicing a humanoid hollow in half.

Ichigo had an excited smirk on his face; it wasn't every day that he got to have a real fight. Not to mention, the fact that he just returned from feeding, so he got to enjoy it in his unreleased form.

Ichigo jumped straight into the air, a mole-like hollow tunneled underneath him in an attempt to devour him.

However, he just let his zanpakuto fly, stabbing it right through the mask.

A large smirk crossed his face as he shouldered his blade.

"This is awesome!"

WOOSH!

A flash of blue, and Ichigo looked over his shoulder, only to see a small hollow, posed to impale him on its arm-blades. However, it was disintegrating.

He began looking around, until he saw another flash of blue, this one coming from the roof of the school. When he looked over, he couldn't believe what he was seeing. There was Ishida, the very kid that was on the verge of murdering him earlier, on the roof of the school with a strange energy bow.

'_No time, I'll ask him later.'_

Ichigo gave the boy a nod, promising a discussion between the two. Even from the distance, Ichigo easily saw that his classmate simply adjusted his glasses, agreeing to the future meeting. He never noticed his best friend no more than 20 feet from Ishida.

Ichigo grabbed the hilt of his sword, cutting off the arm of a particularly large humanoid hollow.

'_Damn! That was like number 74. How may could there be?'_

Ichigo didn't have a chance to put much thought into it, when he looked and saw that there were over a dozen hollows right in front of him.

'_I wonder if _that _will work…'_

An older sounding voice with an echoed tint sounded in his head.

I advise against it, Ichigo. I would say I don't believe you can do it yet, but we both know that you will take it as a challenge.

A smirk made its way across Ichigo's face.

'_You know me too well, Old man'_

Ichigo proudly raised the blade above his head, a light blue shine overtaking it.

"**Getsuga Tensha!**"

A giant wave of blue energy shot straight for the crowd of hollows, the attack stopped with an explosion. Ichigo waited with bated breath, hoping to see the hollows gone.

Eventually the dust cleared.

"Ahh man!"

The same number of hollows stood before him, no more than a scratch on any of them. In all honesty, his attack didn't even completely destroy the grass around them.

"That sucks! I thought I had it that time!"

I won't say I told you so

Ishida was really confused at this point.

'Where are all these hollows coming from? They seem to be targeting Kurosaki for some reason.'

Another arrow impaled the mask of a bird-like hollow. The hollow disintegrated into nothingness.

'_That's 153. With what Kurosaki has gotten, that must be over 400. What could be attracting them?'_

Ishida continued to fire arrow after arrow, paying particular attention to any hollows that focused on long range attacks. Ichigo was doing fine against the ones that got close.

Another perfectly aimed arrow took out another hollow.

"That's 194…"

A distortion behind Ishida went completely unnoticed. Tatsuki was not even able to see a blur.

Ishida wasted no time in preparing another arrow, just as he had the hollow in his sights, but he heard a noise behind him.

He spared just a glance and his eyes widened.

Right before his eyes, the distortion disappeared, leaving behind a grey, chameleon-like hollow. Unfortunately for Ishida it was too late.

Ishida's eyes widened and blood was spat from his mouth as the chameleon's tail slammed into his solar-plexus, Ishida smashed through the door to the stairs, the splatter of blood on the wall near the door wasn't very promising.

Tatsuki was watching Ishida, she couldn't make it out well, but she could see a slight light source from his hands. Plus, every time he seemed to 'fire' one of the blurs would disappear and she could see the particles that it disappeared into.

This had been going on for well over 10 minutes, getting periodic updated from Ishida on what was happening.

Everything was alright; at least she thought it was.

Tatsuki turned her head when she heard him say, 'That's 194'. She knew what he meant but was too interested in staring at the different blurs.

A ruffle of movement next to her had her looking towards Ishida. Well, at least where he was. She barely noticed him getting knocked back. She was going to see if he was alright, but a very large blur, was inches from her.

Her options ran through her head quickly, but nothing came. She sure as hell wasn't going down without a fight.

She was barely able to see a piece of the blur rising up.

With instinct she didn't know she had, she quickly rolled to the side, the concrete where she had been standing cracking like glass when the blur hit it.

A fire seemed to light, deep inside her soul.

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Her fist shot out, she put every ounce of power she could possibly come up with. She felt it connect with something, but didn't know what with. It felt human, as though someone caught her punch.

Slowly at first, the blurs in front of her began to gain color. The first color she saw was black, shortly followed by orange.

"I-Ichigo?"

By then, she could see enough to see detail. She was rather angry when she saw that he was smirking.

"So, you can see me? How long?"

An angry glare crossed her face.

"Oh, I don't know…All of 3 seconds!"

Ichigo was about to continue their banter when he noticed that he no longer had Tatsuki's attention, she was more focused on the giant, bladed tail that was inches from impaling her head, which Ichigo was holding back with ease.

"Allow me to get rid of our friend."

In one quick movement, Ichigo let go of Tatsuki's fist and grabbed the sword from his back, a quick slice and the grey hollow was gone.

Tatsuki shook her head in an attempt to clear her mind.

"W-what's going on Ichigo?"

"**RRRRROOOOOAAAAARRRRR!**"

Hearing the, for lack of a better word, fragile words of the toughest girl he knew, compounded with the angry hollow roar, Ichigo sighed.

"Tatsuki. You're going to see some things that will change your life. I really hope you will allow me to explain when you see what I really am…"

Before she could even respond, she noticed the resolute look on his face. He really had to convince himself to do this. It must be something…

"**Breach the boundaries of Heaven and Earth: Zangetsu!**"

Tatsuki couldn't believe what she was seeing. Her best friend just became a monster for lack of a better word.

She could only watch, dumbfounded as he moved with speed she couldn't even follow, decimating hollow after hollow.

However, a particularly bloody kill reminded her of something, or someone.

Tatsuki rushed and was beyond relieved to find Ishida, bleeding heavily; a 6 inch piece of wood from the door was lodged in his hip. However he was attempting to make his way up the flight of stairs. The girl wasted no time in helping.

Ishida barely made it to the railing before collapsing. However, he was still able to see the fight below just fine. He turned to Tatsuki with a curious expression on his face.

"Where is Kurosaki? Why is there a hollow killing other hollows?"

Tatsuki just shrugged and sat next to him.

"I give up…But that orange haired hollow, that's Ichigo. He saved me from the lizard hollow that hit you. Then he was all like, 'you're going to see some things that change your life. I hope you let me explain after.' Ha! Like that bastard is getting out of this without an explanation!"

The two soon had front row seats to a massacre. Ishida, while not very convinced, was willing to hear Ichigo out. After all, he seemed to be helping them.

It seemed as though the hollows were never going to stop, and Ishida and Tatsuki had cringed when Ichigo began to feed while fighting. He was losing too much energy.

The fight had been going on for nearly an hour and more hollows were pouring from the portal, the Menos Grande seemed to be enjoying the show.

"Ichigo!"

Ichigo, Ishida, Tatsuki and every hollow in the area turned towards the speaker.

It just so happened to be Kisuke Urahara, dressed in his usual attire. The man was casually twirling a cane in his hands, as though a battle wasn't going on.

"If you leave the door open, the flies will continue to enter!"

That seemed to do it for all of them; they turned to see the portal, while smaller, still opened.

"I suggest you use _that!_"

Ichigo gave a short nod.

In an instant, Ishida's eyes widened.

"Whoa! So much spiritual pressure, it's so strong!"

Tatsuki could certainly agree, she was having difficulty breathing, the sheer power weighing down on her shoulders.

Ichigo stood in the middle of the soccer field, red spiritual energy surrounding him, giving his body a celestial glow. Ichigo's hand was in front of him, his index and middle finger extended, aimed up at the portal; red energy seemed to be gathering. When it finished, a dark red ball of energy was hovering in front of his fingers.

"**CERO!**"

Finally, the attack fired, it flew through the air at an incredible speed. The Menos didn't even have time to process it, before it was destroyed, the portal going with it. However, the true power of the attack couldn't be seen since the portal closed immediately.

Ichigo was about to speak, but was interrupted by Kisuke.

"You've done enough Ichigo! I'll finish this. **Awaken: Benihime.**"

Tatsuki and Ishida were surprised when the cane he held, turned into a particularly deadly looking sword.

Tatsuki was confused.

'_Wait a minute, Ichigo did something similar. Why did he become a hollow?'_

Ishida was intrigued.

'_I see, Grandfather told me of how a Soul Reaper's Zanpakuto works. I'm glad I was able to see it for myself.'_

Ishida and Tatsuki watched with interest as Kisuke plunged his sword's tip into the dirt.

"**Razor: Benihime!**"

Ishida suddenly found his eyes looking all over the place, his keen senses quickly alerting him as this man's energy just shot everywhere, traveling through the ground.

His answer came quickly, when arcs of red energy shot from the ground, destroying each and every hollow in the area.

Smoke rose from the entire area, as everyone was able to tell that the fight was over. Everyone's eyes turned to Ichigo, still in his hollow form.

Ichigo let out a sigh, Tatsuki was looking at him with anger and Ishida was looking at him with suspicion. He could live with that.

Ichigo willed his sword to return, slowly, his white armor faded into red and black energy, the energy merely condensed on his back, forming his zanpakuto.

"Perhaps you would like to have this conversation at my shop! 50% off everything, actually, business has been slow, make that 15%."

Everyone turned to Kisuke, his carefree smile on his face.

Without another word, Ichigo led the way, the others following silently.

Chapter 3: Complete! I wasn't overly impressed with the battle. Then again, I haven't seen to many mass raids that were good. I was going to write the discussion in this chapter, but it was getting a little long. I prefer roughly 4000 words, not to long, not to short. 

Please review! I want to know what you think!

I'm sure you all have noticed, that when the Espada, or any of the other Arrancar use their Resurrection, their mask is gone, whereas Ichigo's is back, and full. I have my reasons, and they will be explained later…However, it won't really play a huge roll, so if you want me to A.N. it, let me know. 


	4. Chapter 4

Welcome to Chapter 4, whether you are here because you really like my story, or are just so bored that you are tolerating it, thanks for reading! Ha! Anyways, I ended the last chapter with Ichigo leading Ishida and Tatsuki to Urahara's shop after seeing him in his hollow –form. As far as the names having Fate in them all… I was honestly just on Youtube and was watching episode 1 where Ichigo kicks Rukia in the ass. As she jumps from the telephone line, it says…'And so fell, the sword of fate.' I was like… that will be the name of Ch. 1!

**Was it Fate?**

An elderly man stood, overlooking the Seireitei, his beard was long, ridiculously so, nearly reaching the ground. His face expressed his age.

The man's gruff, aged voice spoke, his impatience only outshone by his wisdom.

"Yes, Captain Kurotsuchi?"

Behind him, Captain Kurotsuchi was waiting to be addressed.

Captain Maruyi Kurotsuchi was the President of the Soul Society Research and Development Division, as well as the Captain of the 12th Division. He was a very strange looking man, white and black face paint gives his face the visage of a skeleton. His eyes were a bright gold, his teeth baring smile never lessened. His ears and chin had odd, golden cone like objects over them. A strange head-dress pointed out to the right, his appearance gave him the typical 'mad-scientist' look. However, his keen intelligence could only be matched by one man, and he was in exile.

"Captain-Commander Yamamoto, I wanted to inform you of some developments in the Land of the Living, particularly, Karakura Town."

The man, now identified as the Captain-Commander barely acknowledged the words.

"Hmmm."

Captain Kurotsuchi took that as his hint to continue.

"Just 1 hour ago, a Garganta was opened over Karakura Town. We believe it to have been opened by a simple Gillian-class Menos. When it was opened, we registered 942 hollows entered the Living World."

For the first time since the meeting had begun, Yamamoto opened a single eye.

"Hmmm. How many casualties?"

The Captain-Commander was always right to the point.

"That is actually the truly remarkable part, Captain-Commander. There were none."

The Captain-Commander's single eye remained open, eyeing his subordinate with interest.

"Hmmm. Zennosuke Kurumadani of the 10th Division is currently stationed in Karakura. Was it he who prevented the potential massacre?"

Captain Kurotsuchi was barely able to reign in his shock.

'_So many reapers and the Captain-Commander knows who is stationed in a single town… Simply amazing, such retention of memory at such an advanced age. If I could just examine his temporal…'_

Captain Kurotsuchi shook his head to clear his rather suicidal thoughts.

"I'm afraid not Captain-Commander. He was at the other end of the town during the surprise attack. No, after some analyzing, I have determined that there were 3 defenders. One was a Quincy, possibly the last living Quincy. I believe the next was another human, I was unable to get a reading on his reiatsu, simply because it was unlike any I have ever seen. One of my sensors said he was a Vasto Lorde hollow, and another indicated he was Soul Reaper of around 4th Seat. Tch. One said it was a dog… Anyways, I have my men analyzing the data we received as we speak. However, it is the third combatant that had my attention. There is no doubt about it. I would recognize the spectrum of Benihime anywhere. After 106 years, I have found him. Kisuke Urahara is hiding in Karakura Town!"

It seemed that as soon as the captain finished speaking, the Captain-Commander's only open eye, closed.

"Hmmm. I have told you before, and I will tell you again, I will not stand for a Captain-level battle in the Living World. The number of casualties from spirit energy overload alone would be inexcusable. We defend souls, not damn them. No, we will only engage Kisuke Urahara and his band of misfits if the opportunity presents itself to do so here in Soul Society. Until then, I will hear no more on this matter!"

Captain Kurotsuchi waited for the man to continue but nothing was said.

The silence of the room was nearly unbearable for the younger captain. Just as he was about to ask to be excused, the old man spoke again.

"However, I am interested in the unknown defender. I would like to know what he is, and how powerful he is."

Captain Kurotsuchi simply bowed and left the room, an angry frown on his face.

Walking towards Urahara Shoten

The Ichigo's silence was beginning to get on Tatsuki's nerves. They had been walking for about 15 minutes and he had said nothing.

"Why the hell don't you say anything!?"

A small smirk crossed Ichigo's face.

"You know, yelling at yourself is gonna make people think you're crazy."

Tatsuki just gave Ichigo a confused look, and Ichigo just pointed around.

It turned out, he was right. Everyone in the area was looking at her like she was insane. An embarrassed blush crossed her face.

Then a thought came to her.

"Wait a minute… what about your body, or whatever that is?"

Ichigo's eyes went comically wide.

"Shit!"

Just as he was about to take off running, Kisuke dropped out of nowhere.

"I wouldn't bother, Ichigo."

Ichigo turned to the ex-captain in confusion.

Kisuke just pointed as an ambulance sped by, sirens blasting.

"Damn, my body is in there?"

Kisuke offered the boy little more than a smile.

"Your gigai will probably be in the coma ward."

A sigh left Ichigo's lips.

"Joy."

Ichigo noticed that Tatsuki's shoulders seemed to be shaking; he turned to her in concern. However, that concern quickly faded into annoyance, when he noticed that she was just keeping in her laughter.

"Tch. We're almost there."

The rest of the trip was made in silence with no disturbances.

The four turned down a small alley, and quickly found themselves in front of a small shop, Ichigo and Kisuke not hesitating to walk right in.

Tatsuki and Ishida shared a look before shrugging and following the two.

The two instantly noticed that it was a poorly stocked candy store. He grabbed a box of pocky and noticed that it was expired.

"Wow, no wonder business is so bad, this place is a dump. Hell, this expired 1972!"

Instantly, Ishida was bathed in shadow, the dim lights from the shop no longer reaching him.

With a curious look on his face, Ishida turned around, what he saw shocked him.

Standing behind him, blocking the light, was a man that was well over a foot taller than him. He was eye to eye with the man's chest.

He was even more creeped out, when said giant ducked low, bringing their faces no more than an inch apart.

"Do I come to your home and insult it? No! Do you want to find out if I have the ability to create a teleportation portal around your anus and mouth? That would mean, any time you take a crap, it would instantly teleport into your mouth! Then you probably shouldn't insult a stranger's home without knowing what they are capable of!"

By this point, both Tatsuki and Ishida were taking slow steps back in an attempt to escape, unnoticed.

However, they found themselves against a wall. Looking around, they were trapped in a 10x10 room, with no doors and no windows, they were beginning to panic.

"Calm down guys, no one is going to hurt you. Kisuke just sealed off the room so that we can't be overheard."

Tatsuki and Ishida both looked at Ichigo, who had already taken a seat at the table, a serious look on his face.

The two spiritually aware teens took that as a tip, both quickly sitting across from him. Kisuke took his seat at one head of the table, and the large man took the other end.

Ichigo took a deep breath.

"Ok, first things first, this is Kisuke Urahara and Tessai Tsukabishi. They own this shop. However, the candy store is really just a front for dealing in Soul Reaper gear."

Tatsuki was confused now.

"Soul Reaper?"

Remembering that she was new to all this, Kisuke gave her a quick rundown on the Spirit World.

"Ok, so those monsters were all lost souls that just never made it to the Soul Society? And you are?"

Ichigo sighed and continued.

"Do you remember that day, six years ago?"

Now Ishida was confused and Tatsuki nodded.

Tatsuki took over the explanation.

"Ichigo here, saved his mom from being hit by a car. He was a hero…"

Ichigo took a few deep breaths before continuing.

"That is a lie. Both my mom and dad are spiritually aware humans, humans that can see and interact with ghosts. Like you are now. However, this comes with the price of having hollows attracted to your spiritual pressure. On our way home that day, we were attacked by a hollow, I don't like going over the details, but it tried to consume my mother's soul, but I jumped in front of it. It ended up eating my soul."

Now both Ishida and Tatsuki had huge eyes.

Ishida spoke, his voice cracking slightly.

"S-so, you are a hollow?"

Kisuke decided to take over.

"In a sense he is. After his soul was consumed, he overpowered the hollow, taking control."

Ishida seemed to be in deep thought.

"I didn't even think that was possible."

A jovial laugh escaped Kisuke's lips.

"Me neither!"

A sweat-drop fell down each of their heads and Ichigo picked up the explanation.

"Anyways, you know how hollows feed on souls, well after I took over, I stayed myself. I actually threatened to kill a friend that was going to take my mom here since she was hurt. I wouldn't let anyone near her though."

Ishida and Tatsuki were both nodding along.

"Well, after getting here, they discussed what should be done, and decided to try and turn me into an Arrancar."

Tatsuki seemed confused.

"Arrancar? That means 'to tear off' in Spanish, doesn't it?"

Ichigo gave a nod.

"Yeah, not many know it, but Soul Reapers and hollows aren't very different. After removing a hollow's mask, they develop the powers of a soul reaper."

Ishida's eyes showed understanding.

"Would I be correct to guess that as an Arrancar, you have more control?"

"Yes, Captain-Commander Yamamoto?"

Both the old man's eyes opened.

"Hmmm, Jushiro, how are you feeling today?"

Jushiro was better known as Captain Ukitake, he was one of the oldest Soul Reapers, one of three who trained directly under the Captain-Commander. He was also the captain of the 13th Division, he had long white hair and pale skin. While one of the strongest captains in the Soul Society, he was often weakened by his tuberculosis.

"I am feeling rather well today. What can I do for you Captain-Commander Yamamoto?"

Yamamoto seemed to be looking at the man with critique.

"Hmmm. Rukia Kuchiki, why have you not yet promoted her to an officer's seat?"

Captain Ukitake's eyes widened slightly, he was not expecting this.

"I have been doing so, as a personal favor for Captain Kuchiki."

Yamamoto seemed to be in thought for a few moments, his eyes closing again.

"What level would you rate her?"

There wasn't a hint of hesitation.

"If not for Byakuya's request, she would already be my lieutenant."

"Hmmm."

The Captain-Commander seemed to have gone silent, so Jushiro spoke again.

"May I ask the reasoning behind this line of questioning, Sir?"

A single eye of Yamamoto's opened again.

"Hmmm. Several hours ago, a phenomenon occurred, nearly 1,000 hollows attacked Karakura Town by means of Garganta. You know why that town is of importance. However, that is not what interests me. I would like to find out the identity and race of a defender of the town. Captain Kurotsuchi has been able to find large amounts of his energy, located at Karakura High. We believe him to be a student. I would like for you to assign Miss Kuchiki the mission of defending Karakura with an underlining mission of discovering the defender."

Jushiro seemed to think for a minute before he spoke.

"You want a lieutenant, but any that are sent could undermine the running of their division, Rukia is lieutenant level without the responsibility…"

Yamamoto merely nodded.

"Should she succeed in her mission, I will be demanding her promotion; I will not have my soldiers held back out of personal worry. Now, I have already had my lieutenant deliver the mission parameters, along with all the details Captain Kurotsuchi had on the attack, to your office."

Captain Ukitake could only bow and leave.

Ichigo could only watch with worried eyes.

Immediately after the explanation Tatsuki stood up violently, her chair even slamming against the wall. She began to pace, any time her eyes caught Ichigo's, rage was evident.

'_D-does she hate me?'_

Suddenly, Ichigo's instincts screamed at him and he merely tilted his head to the side, what looked like a copper bar flew by his head, missing his ear by millimeters. Tatsuki's arm still poised from her throw.

"SO IT'S TRUE!"

A sad sigh escaped Ichigo's lips.

"I-I'm sorry Tats."

Her eyes burned with even more anger.

"_DON'T _CALL ME THAT!"

A lone tear made its way down Ichigo's cheek.

"I-I guess I'll be going…"

Just as Ichigo was going to leave the room, his instincts once again kicked in, telling him to duck. He did just that.

Tatsuki's foot sailed over his head, missing by mere millimeters.

"Look, Tatsuki, I'm sorry, I hope you won't tell anyone, but you don't need to worry. I won't be seeing you again."

That was the first time she saw the tears in his eyes.

"What the hell are you talking about!? How he hell am I going to kick your ass when you're not holding back if I don't see you again!?"

That stopped Ichigo in his tracks.

"Huh?"

A small smirk crossed Tatsuki's face.

"What? You actually thought I cared that you were a Hollow? Remember dumbass, I only knew you for like a month before you became one. This is the Ichigo I know! I'm just pissed that I spent these last two years thinking I had surpassed you, only to find out, you're holding back!"

Ichigo was to elated to listen to his instincts when Tatsuki's fist slammed into Ichigo's nose, an audible crunch signaling that it was broken.

"AAAAAAHHHH! WHAT DID YOU DO THAT FOR!?"

"AAAAAAHHHH! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU MADE OF!?"

The other occupants of the room could only sweat-drop as Ichigo cradled his nose, and Tatsuki gently held her fist.

Suddenly, both burst into laughter, their friendship wasn't changing just because of a small issue like him being dead.

Midnight: That night

A young woman stood upon a power line, she surveyed the below city with cold indifference. She wore a kimono as black as the night around her, her raven tresses were cut short, a single bang between her violet eyes. A red hilt stuck from her left side. There was little doubt that she was a member of the Gotei 13.

'_Hmmm, this mission will not be an easy one. Not only the people, but just the land itself is saturated with Spiritual Energy. Even now, I'm having difficulty sensing anything.'_

"**RRRRROOOOOAAAAARRRRR!**"

Her eyes instantly snapped in the direction of the roar.

"I may be unable to sense their locations, but at least they are not silent hunters…"

Without delay she was off, heading straight to her target.

The closer she got, the clearer her senses were. It took her only minutes to arrive. She found herself in a park, a young boy was running away from a hollow that looked a lot like a centipede.

Her hand grasped the hilt of her blade, she was about to attack when she was distracted by a flash of blue.

She turned and saw the hollow slowly disperse into spirit particles.

With a calming breath, she stepped back, bathing herself in shadow.

Across the park, another raven haired adolescent appeared, this one a male, with glasses. He was none other than Ishida.

"Tch. Where the hell is that dumbass Soul Reaper? He should be doing this."

The adolescent walked up to the boy, who was now cowering behind the slide.

Ishida crouched down, speaking as gently as he could.

"Hey kid, come here, it's safe now."

Slowly, the young boy, no older than 7 stepped out.

"S-safe?"

Ishida gave the boy a smile.

"Yeah. What's your name?"

The boy seemed to be contemplating.

"Misho…"

Ishida just smiled.

"Well, Misho. I need you to do me a favor. I'm gonna bring you somewhere that hollows don't attack. You don't want to see any more of those monsters, do you?"

The boy rapidly shook his head.

Ishida held out his hand, and the boy hesitantly grabbed it, following him.

The walk was made in general silence. It was a relatively short trip, ending at an intersection of two side streets. However, what had the Reaper's attention, was that there was a little girl there. She merely waved at the raven haired teen.

"Hi Ishida!"

The raven haired teen offered a small smile.

"Hello, Mira. I was wondering if you wouldn't mind sharing the area for a while. You know how the rest of the town is crawling with those monsters, but they stay clear of here."

A huge smile crossed the girl's face.

"Yeah! That'd be great!"

Ishida merely nodded to the two children and disappeared in a blur, much to the reaper's surprise.

'_It seems I have found the Quincy. I was expecting it to be much more difficult.'_

The unnamed Soul Reaper expanded her senses, searching for any evidence of someone spying. She quickly deduced that she was alone and stepped forward.

The little girl gasped, trying to keep the boy behind her in a form of protection.

"W-who are you!?"

The reaper's eyes softened from their previous cold demeanor.

"You need not to worry, young one. I'm here to guide you into a better place. I'm here to send you to the Soul Society."

The girl didn't even notice, but the hilt of the reaper's sword was placed against her forehead and she found herself gently floating away, a feeling of peace passing through her being.

The boy soon got the same treatment, the reaper watching as the two Hell Butterflies took to the air, making their way to the Soul Society.

'_Good, I wonder where the reaper assigned here is. He should have at least made his way over to the scene of the battle, but I don't sense him anywhere. I will worry about it later. I have a mission to take care of.'_

In a blur, the reaper was gone.

Tuesday Morning

Ichigo sighed as he walked into his 1st period classroom.

"ICHIGO!"

Allowing his instinct to take over fully, Ichigo barely had to move his arm, close-lining his… acquaintance.

"Will you ever learn Keigo?"

Ichigo looked down at the brown haired student who was whimpering from his place on the ground. Ichigo just shrugged and made his way into the class.

Completely ignoring Ichigo's question, Keigo continued to whine over his face.

"I-I think he broke my nose! Now how will I get a girlfriend?"

Tatsuki walked in behind Ichigo and immediately noticed Keigo's status.

"Don't you think you might have over done it today, Ichigo?"

Tatsuki just looked towards Ichigo with an irritated expression.

"eep!"

Ichigo looked at her with a raised eyebrow and pointed behind her.

"Really?"

Tatsuki turned around curiously. What she saw had her face red with anger.

Her best friend, Orihime Inoue stood behind her, a horrified blush on her face. Orihime was a kind-hearted, caring person with burnt orange hair and a rather impressive bust.

Meanwhile, Keigo continued to lay on the ground, no longer cradling his face, instead drool was coming from his mouth.

"Wow, red silk, much naughtier than usually Hime-chan. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHH"

Everyone's attention moved from the blushing Orihime to the raging Tatsuki's her foot having smashed down onto Keigo's testicles.

Orihime herself was shocked.

"T-tatsuki, I don't think that was neccary…"

Tatsuki just proudly removed her foot.

"Tch. The only think Keigo responds to is enough pain."

Mizuiro walked up behind her.

"Not true, he seems to respond to breasts as well…"

Orihime's blush shot up once again and the girl stole a glance at her own bust, her blush increasing.

Tatsuki wasn't amused.

"Shut up Muzuiro, I'm not in the mood."

The black haired boy merely nodded in understanding before heading to his seat.

"Okay, class. Settle down, settle down."

At the door was Ms. Ochi, their homeroom teacher and without a doubt, the coolest teacher in the school. Everyone finished up their conversations and made their way to their seats.

"Now, let's see who we're missing…"

Suddenly, a large figure took up the entire space of the door. The figure spoke, deep and slow.

"Sorry I'm late, Ms. Ochi."

The teacher looked to the door with a smile.

"Meh, no worries Sado-kun! Just take your seat."

Sado was a large teen, he was 6'5", and 250lbs of pure power. Him and Ichigo had made a deal to fight for what was important to the other a couple years back. They had been holding to that agreement ever since.

Chad quietly made his way to the back of the room, not uttering a word.

"Well, looks like everyone is here… Well, everyone that matters, we're missing 3 but their delinquents that won't become anything anyways. Now, let's continue where we left off."

A knock on the door interrupted Ms. Ochi from continuing.

"Just a sec…"

She opened the door and stepped out, she was only gone for a few minutes before she came back in. She was tailed by a girl.

The girl stood at the front of the class and just fidgeted with her rather short skirt. The girl was short and petite. Ichigo doubted she was even 4' 8" nor did he think she even weighed 70lbs. He did have to admit that she had a pretty face, but her eyes said she had no problems kicking your ass if you crossed her.

The first thing Keigo noticed was that, while she was sorely lacking in the breast department, her butt clearly made up for it. The short uniform did not do much to hide it.

"Well, class, we have a new student. I expect you all to treat her with respect, she is new to town. Now, dear. Why don't you introduce yourself?"

The girl nodded nervously.

"M-my name is Rukia Kuchiki, I prefer colder weather and my favorite food is rice dumplings. I practice kendo in my spare time and I'm a pretty accomplished artist if I do say so myself."

Ms. Ochi seemed delighted.

"Wonderful, just wonderful. You can take a seat next to Ichigo."

Ms. Ochi just stood there staring at the raven haired girl.

"Well, what are you waiting for?"

Rukia seemed annoyed.

"I don't know who Ichigo is."

A light bulb went off in Ms. Ochi's head.

"Right! Ichigo is the kid with orange hair and the permanent scowl. Don't worry, he may look a little scary but he's harmless, kind of a sweetheart actually."

Rukia's eyes scanned the classroom, quickly meeting the annoyed amber eyes of Ichigo Kurosaki, her breath hitched in her throat.

"K-Kaien?"

That's it! I know, not much for action, I just wanted to get Rukia's intro out of the way. I'm sure you all noticed that I kind of made Maruyi kind of like Soifon in the fact that he is not happy with Kisuke… I have reasons and they will be explained.

This chapter is just a little shorter than my average, but not to bad. I liked it.

Please read and review! I want to know what you think!


	5. Chapter 5

Welcome to Chapter 5! Not to much action in the last chapter but I hope it wasn't that bad. Anyways, I'm pretty happy with how the story has been coming so far. I haven't actually decided on a pairing yet, but I'm leaning towards Ichi/Ruki or Ichi/Tats, possibly none… but I'm open to suggestions. Throw them in your review, but do me a favor and throw in a reason, not just 'cause she's hot'…

I just noticed it in this chapter, if I think it works better in Japanese I'll use Japanese if I like it in English I'll do it in English. I.E. I like Byakurai better than Pale Lightning but I prefer Crawling Rope to Hainawa…

I'm going to pick up right where I left off; Rukia is a new student and is looking for Karakura's defenders… It is her first day in class, and she saw Ichigo for the first time…

**Fate's Sword Never Misses**

"K-Kaien?"

Ichigo just looked around him with a dumbfounded look on his face.

"Me?"

Rukia barely managed to clear her head with a shake and made her way to her seat.

"S-sorry, you look a lot like someone I used to know… It was just a shock. Anyways, my name is Rukia Kuchiki, nice to meet you."

Rukia held out her hand, waiting for Ichigo to shake.

Ichigo stared at the hand for a second before sighing and grasping her hand.

"Ichigo Kurosaki. I know if I don't do this, Tatsuki's gonna kick my ass, so at lunch, if you have nowhere to sit, my friends and I eat on the roof. You can join us…"

A smile made its way to Rukia's face.

"Thanks!"

Ms. Ochi began writing numbers on the board.

"Ok class, we're going to be working on trig. The formulas you need are…"

Even as Ms. Ochi spoke, Ichigo couldn't pay attention, his eyes were focused on the new girl who was writing away. However, what really had his attention was that she was using an unsharpened pencil. It had never been sharpened. The only reason anything was being written was the yellow paint on the outside of the writing utensil.

Ichigo couldn't let it go on; he gave the girl a tap on the shoulder.

"Uh, Ruruka, there's a pencil sharpener in the back…"

Ichigo pointed to the back of the room but Rukia looked at him like he was stupid, her eyebrow began twitching and she had to resist the urge to kick him. However, she just kept on with the bright smile on her face.

"Thank you, but my name is Rukia."

Ichigo gave an uncaring nod to the girl and she got up to sharpen her pencil. A loud grinding noise shortly followed, and Ichigo just sighed.

'_Damn, you'd think she never saw a pencil before.'_

Ichigo stood, slowly making his way to the back of the room, his hands resting in his pockets as he went. Tatsuki's and Orihime's eyes followed him curiously.

Ichigo got to the back and saw Rukia valiantly fighting against the operation of the pencil sharpener. Without saying a word, he walked up behind her, grabbed the pencil and pulled it from the sharpener. Ichigo inspected the pencil, the eraser end was all torn up. The metal piece was scratched and bent, and the eraser was non-existent.

She turned a glare on him.

'_Damn, is it cold in here? That's weird; it seems to be coming from her… Oh well, I'll worry about it later.'_

Ichigo just flipped the pencil, putting it into the sharpener properly and made his way back to his seat.

Ichigo didn't even notice the blush on the petite girl's face.

Ichigo was on his way to his Tuesday afternoon training at the Urahara Shoten, the school day was over.

The rest of the day had gone pretty well, after the pencil sharpener incident, Ichigo seemed to get stuck as her unofficial guide.

A smirk crossed his face as he thought about Rukia trying to open a juice box.

'_As amusing as it was, something is up with her. It's like she's not from this planet…'_

Ichigo never was one for thinking so he said the hell with it and made his way over to the Urahara Shoten.

Upon entering, a black cat almost instantly landed on his shoulder, nuzzling his head with her face.

"You know Yoruichi, it's kind of weird when you do that…"

The cat just gave her equivalent of a shrug and continued.

"Yeah, well you never pet me anymore."

Ichigo sighed and grabbed the black cat from his shoulder, his hand scratching her ears, causing the cat to purr.

"Hmmm. Ichigo, you sure do know how to treat a lady…"

A blush crossed the boy's face but he continued.

"And you wonder why I don't pet you anymore. Hey, Yoruichi, as fun as this is, I need to get some training in…"

Ichigo wasn't sure, but he thought he heard a sad sigh come from the cat.

"Fine, fine. You know where the basement is…"

With her piece said, Yoruichi jumped from his arms, making her way back to her room for a nap.

Ichigo just shook his head as she left.

"It's always funny to watch her sulk."

Ichigo shook his head and proceeded down the ladder to the underground training area.

"Ok, Old man! You're going down today!"

With that, Ichigo removed himself from his body and sat cross-legged, his elegant cleaver across his lap.

Karakura East: 1 mile from Karakura High

Inside of her small apartment, Rukia sat, a small black butterfly rested on her finger.

It spoke, in her captain's voice.

There have been a slight change of plans Rukia, when you discover the defenders, you are to befriend them. Join their group. Your backstory: You have been able to see spirits for as long as you can remember but one day, a Hollow almost killed you but was stopped by a Soul Reaper. At which point, the same reaper taught you two kido spells; Hado #4: Byakurai and Bakudo #4: Crawling Rope. After receiving this order, it is requested that you respond with any progress.

Rukia grabbed the butterfly and held it to her lips.

"Unseated Officer Rukia Kuchiki reporting as requested. I believe I have made contact with the defenders but I have yet to verify. The alteration of orders will make that considerably easier. End of report, Rukia Kuchiki signing out."

With a gentle lift, the butterfly was gone.

"Hmm, strange. I was given explicit instructions against revealing I have any interaction with the spirit world. I suppose they though the mission would be too difficult."

Rukia shrugged.

"Now I just need to come up with a way to arrange a meeting. If only there was a hollow attack and we all showed up. Perhaps I can arrange something."

Urahara Shoten: Ichigo's Mindscape

"Tell me, Ichigo. Do you truly believe you have advanced enough to fight me on even ground?"

Even through the echoed undertone, Ichigo could hear the wisdom in his words.

Ichigo had long since dropped to a knee, only upright thanks to the sword he was leaning on. Blood freely flowed from his forehead into his left eye. His white undershirt was nearly entirely red, his lifeblood having seeped into the fabric.

Ichigo turned a glare to the man in front of him. He was a tall, middle aged man. His hair was long and ragged; it was stark white, matching the rest of his appearance. He wore dark sunglasses, keeping his eyes from view. He wore a ragged black undershirt under a long flowing white overcoat. In his hands was the very same sword that Ichigo was using to keep himself upright. (A.N. Think Zangetsu with opposite colors and the echoing voice that Hichigo has.)

"I don't know… But there is only one way to find out!"

Ichigo was up in an instant, charging at the white haired man.

Zangetsu easily blocked the overhead swing, bringing his own sword up.

"Good! Show me your power Ichigo! Show me your instincts! Show me your will to fight!"

Ichigo jumped back slightly before charging again, his sword met Zangetsu's once again.

"Come Ichigo! What does your instinct tell you!?"

Ichigo was using every ounce of strength he had into his sword, trying with all his might to push the spirit back. However, he failed to push the blade back even a little.

"You know this Ichigo!"

Ichigo's cleaver began to glow with a blue energy and Zangetsu found his feet sliding backwards slightly.

"DO IT!"

Ichigo's amber eyes flash in acknowledgment.

"**Getsuga Tensha!**"

The blue energy from the blade flew from Ichigo's blade, hitting Zangetsu right in the face.

The explosion blew both, Zangetsu and Ichigo back.

Looking for his partner, Ichigo found him. He was standing, a proud smirk on his face, his clothing was torn and burned and he had a few small cuts on his chest but aside from that, he was unharmed. The building wasn't so lucky. Every window was shattered, the concrete was cracked the whole length of the building.

"Good! But not good enough! This is how it's done!"

Ichigo could only watch in awe as a thin layer of blue energy covered the cutting edge of the spirit's blade.

Ichigo saw the gleam in his partner's eye and knew what to do; he too began charging energy into his sword, his resembling more a tornado of wild energy encompassing the entire sword.

Ichigo raised the blade above his head, ready for the attack.

"**Getsuga Tensha!**"

His giant wave of blue energy was flying right for the spirit of his sword. Ichigo was beyond shocked when Zangetsu just stood there.

The giant arc of energy was no more than 5 feet away when Zangetsu spoke quietly.

"Getsuga…Tensha…"

A mere swipe of his blade, and Ichigo's entire attack was reduced to spirit particles. Ichigo barely dodged the small arc of blue that would have cut him in half.

Ichigo could only watch in awe as the attack destroyed every building in its way.

"That, Ichigo is why you must learn control before I teach you more."

Ichigo could only stare, dumbfounded. Never before had he or Zangetsu ever used such a powerful move… It made his Cero look like child's play.

13th Division Captain's Quarters

Captain Ukitake sat at his desk, his hand held out as a Hell Butterfly relayed his future Lieutenant's report.

His brow was furrowed though.

Unseated Officer Rukia Kuchiki reporting as requested. I believe I have made contact with the defenders but I have yet to verify. End of report, Rukia Kuchiki signing out.

'_Hmmm, I don't get it. Firstly, she isn't scheduled to report for 4 days, we never suspected she would have found them so quickly. But, the way she says we requested the report, like we sent her the Hell Butterfly…'_

A light laugh came from Ukitake's body.

"I'm probably reading too deep into this, she probably just wanted to inform us that she is ahead of schedule. Oh well, I'll just log this in the mission log."

The white haired Captain leisurely logged the report into her mission folder.

"I must say, I'm excited about finally having another lieutenant. Cut my paperwork load in half…"

Captain Ukitake just smiled as he continued his work.

Next day: Lunch

Tatsuki and Ishida watched as Ichigo walked up the stairs, they both held smirks.

"Tch. Idiot! What the hell is taking so long? My dead Grandma can climb stairs faster!"

Ichigo sent his friend a glare but it was ruined when he winced as he took another step.

"Just shut up. I trained my ass off yesterday, I can barely stand."

A snicker left Rukia's mouth.

"We can see that."

Everyone stopped and looked at the petite girl in shock.

She began blushing madly.

'_I-I can't believe I said that…22 year of training as a noble and 2 days with Ichigo and his friends, and I'm losing it.'_

Ichigo's next comment earned him a nice glare.

"Shut it, Midget."

With a devious smirk, she walked up behind him.

She grabbed her thumb and looked at it, then she looked at Ichigo, then she looked at it again.

She couldn't stop herself from jabbing her thumb, right into the back of Ichigo's thigh, right where he was the sorest.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH! WHAT THE HELL!?"

Rukia just had a satisfied smile as she walked passed the limping teen.

"Don't call me a midget."

The casual way she said it was as though he started the whole thing.

"Wha-huh?"

Tatsuki walked up behind him and clasped him on the shoulder, causing him to wince again.

"I like her."

Once again his glare was destroyed by a wince as he tried to take yet another step.

After ten minutes, Ichigo finally made it to the top and as soon as he found a good spot, he dropped to the ground.

Rukia just looked on, curious.

"I thought you two trained together, why is he sore and you're not?"

Now Tatsuki was caught. Ichigo probably already had a story, but he was unconscious by that point.

'_Shit, shit, shit! I can't say he was training his Soul Reaper powers since he is so much better with his Hollow powers. Hah! That would probably get me thrown into an insane asylum. Wait a minute!'_

A smirk made its way onto Tatsuki's face.

"Well, Ichigo got tired of me always kicking his ass, so he started to learn kendo. Maybe with a real sword in his hands he'll feel like a man."

Ishida's entire body was shaking, attempting to keep his laughter in while Rukia's lips curled into a smirk.

While outside she was having a blast, inside she was conversing with her own, Zanpakuto.

'_What do you think Shira? Do you think it's possible for him to be a Soul Reaper? Maybe he just learned Shikai…'_

Inside Rukia's head, a soft voice responded.

I do not know, I can definitely sense a power from him, but I feel no Zanpakuto present.

Rukia thanked her partner and left her to do what she did.

"Rukia!"

Rukia shook her head and saw both, Tatsuki and Orihime looking at her with concern.

"You ok?"

Rukia gave the girl a confused look.

"What do you mean, of course."

Tatsuki gave the raven haired girl a 'you're an idiot' look and spoke like she was talking to a child.

"We've been trying to get you to snap out of it for like 15 minutes, Ishida went to get the school nurse."

A blush quickly spread across her cheeks.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about stuff."

Ichigo was the one who was curious now.

"Like what?"

Rukia was about to respond but couldn't come up with anything. At least until a certain spirit in her head spoke.

Say…

"Home, well, home before my parents died."

That got them to drop their line of questioning.

It was that instant, that the door burst open. A man in his twenties, wearing scrubs ran onto the roof, frantically searching.

"Where is she!?"

Ishida came up right behind him.

"Apparently, she's fine now."

Immediately, the man's mood soured.

"Ahhh, all I ever get to do nowadays is give girls tampons!"

Everyone just stared as the downtrodden man went back down stairs.

Nobody could really believe what he just said. He actually wished a student got hurt.

They just shook it off; they had class to get to.

Ichigo's nap seemed to really help because it only took him five minutes to get down the stairs. As the group was walking to their next class, Rukia decided to try something.

"Hey Ichigo. I've always been interested in Kendo, do you think you can include me in your training?"

Ichigo's eyes widened slightly before an aged, echoing voice spoke in his head.

Say…

"Sorry, my teacher is an old friend of the family and he's still grumpy that he's teaching me."

Rukia nodded, actually slightly saddened.

'_I-it's possible that he's an exiled Soul Reaper… I hope that's not it.'_

The day continued like any other, slow.

Finally class was over, and everyone went their separate ways.

Rukia made her way towards her small apartment.

'_It would be nice to get some training in, don't you agree Shira?'_

Yes, I feel as though your training has taken a back seat to other matters completely.

'_I know, sorry. Now that I'm getting settled in with this mission, I try to train with you at least every other day.'_

Rukia could sense the spirit's nod of approval.

Immediately after closing, and locking the apartment door, Rukia withdrew herself from her Gigai and sat in the center of her small, unfurnished living room.

Seconds later, she opened her eyes to find herself standing on a frozen lake, a beautiful woman with light lavender hair, she wore an elegant white kimono.

Almost immediately, Rukia grabbed the sealed form of her Zanpakuto and drew the blade.

So hasty? I always did like it when you were truly ready for a fight.

They lavender haired woman formed the same blade out of thin air.

"It has been too long since we have sparred all out. How about it, Sode No Shirayuki?"

A serene smile crossed the woman's face.

Yes, Lets.

"Dance: Sode No Shirayuki."

Ichigo lost his breath when Kisuke's foot found its place in the center of his chest.

"Uh-uh, you need to do better than that, Kurosaki-kun."

A growl left Ichigo's throat. He had been at this for nearly two hours and wasn't even close to cutting the man.

"Damn it Hat-N-Clogs! I said I was sorry! It was an accident, I didn't mean to tell Yoruichi you were watching her in the spring!"

Kisuke's irritating smile never left his face as he brought his sword up, red energy gathering.

Ichigo pointed two fingers at the man, red energy gathering quickly.

"**Sing: Benihime!**"

"**Cero!**"

Ichigo's blast was quickly and sloppily formed, but it did the job, it not only stopped Kisuke's attack, but also kicked up dust and blocked him out from being seen.

BZZT!

Kisuke turned around quickly, barely blocking Ichigo's blade with his cane.

"Very good, Ichigo! Now we're getting started!"

The giant smile on Kisuke's face just pissed Ichigo off more.

Tatsuki could do nothing as the fist barreled into her face, the force of the hit actually threw her back over 10 feet.

Her jaw felt as though it was broken.

"Come on! I know you have more than this!"

Tatsuki turned to her trainer, the woman had no qualms with hurting her and made sure she knew it.

So, her vision still swimming slightly and Tatsuki made it to her feet.

Within an instant she charged.

"You're done! Yoruichi!"

Just as the fist was about to slam into her face, the purple haired woman disappeared in a blur. The teen's instinct screamed but she ignored them, instead of trying to block the incoming strike, she dodged. She saw her opening and took it.

An overwhelming smile overtook her face as her foot was about to hit Yoruichi's head. Then she saw it, Yoruichi's knee much closer to her face than her own foot to Yoruichi's head.

The impact snapped her neck back, her nose freely leaking blood.

"Close but no cigar…"

Yoruichi was gone again.

Her instincts screamed again and this time, she listened. Tatsuki turned quickly and barely had time to raise her arms, her arms blocking the kick from the Goddess of Flash.

Neither woman noticed, but a yellow spark of electricity swam through Tatsuki's dark blue eyes as Tatsuki grabbed Yoruichi's arm, and threw the woman into a wall, cracking it slightly.

Tatsuki expected Yoruichi to be mad, so when she jumped up with a smirk, she was shocked.

"Hah! This might be worth it after all!"

Again, Yoruichi was gone in a blur.

Ishida shot another four arrows into the various trees; his breath was coming in labored pants.

Ishida stood quickly and began firing repeatedly. The teen fired as many arrows as his body would allow. He guessed the number to be around 110.

Finally, unable to maintain it anymore, his bow disappeared and he dropped to a knee, panting.

From his spot on the ground, he was eye level with a box.

"Soon Grandfather, soon I will use your gift."

Ishida wasted no time and stood, his bow reforming.

Chad looked at the bird in the cage.

"Thank you mister and I hope you don't get hurt because of me."

Chad, ever the silent type just nodded.

He had had the bird for 4 hours and already a steel girder fell and a bridge he was walking on collapsed.

'_I wonder what's next.'_

Chad heard a high pitched engine.

"Sounds like a motorcycle."

Chad looked behind him and saw a motorcycle second from hitting him.

With no other way to defend himself, Chad clutched the bird cage to his chest and spun around.

Chad couldn't keep in the grunt of pain when the bike hit him.

However, he barely even noticed the blood leaking from the back of his head. All he noticed was the rider who was lying against the wood fence as though he was thrown there.

Without even a thought to his own wellbeing, Chad picked up the biker in one arm and the bird cage in the other, quickly heading to Karakura General. This was luckily only a few minutes away. He didn't even notice the massive gash across the back of his head.

The next morning and Ms. Ochi could only stare.

Ishida had both his hands bandaged. Not to mention his skin was pale and he was panting just from walking to the classroom.

Rukia seemed to be asleep at her desk, but that didn't stop her from seeing that her arm was rather blue and puffy, similar to her lips that were quivering as she slept.

Tatsuki was probably the worst. Her entire face was black and blue, her nose a little bent and it was clear it had been broken and reset. The skin of her fists had been ripped off and her hands were bandaged.

Ichigo wasn't far behind, he had bandages all over his body, apparently from cuts. However, the worst was the fact that he right arm was in a sling.

Chad had bandages wrapped around his head. The back tinted red from bleeding. Ms. Ochi wasn't even going to say anything about the fact that he had a bird.

The entire group looked like shit.

Ms. Ochi couldn't stop herself.

"Did you guys get in a gang fight? And dragging along poor Rukia. You should be ashamed. Now, open your books to page 211."

The day dragged ass, to put it lightly. None of them could focus and they really didn't want to be there.

However, now school was over, and the only issue was that they had to walk home.

Tatsuki was the first to complain.

"Man, my house is like…6 mile away, this walk is going to suck."

As though to accent her pain, she winced pretty bad when she moved her leg wrong.

Ichigo just gave her a glare.

"Yeah? Remember, my house is almost 2 miles passed yours."

Normally, Tatsuki would argue back, but she didn't care.

Ichigo spoke up.

"Tch. At least when you get home, you can take a nap. My crazy ass dad is gonna try and kick my ass then make me clean the clinic either 'For beating up Daddy' or 'For not being on guard.' At least your parents are sane."

Tatsuki couldn't help but chuckle.

Rukia got a look of thought on her face.

"You know, I haven't had a chance to furnish it yet, but my apartment is like 2 minutes that way. You're welcome to come take a nap at my place, that's all I'll be doing."

After a little thought, Ichigo and Tatsuki agreed.

Orihime seemed sad that she couldn't.

"Bummer! My landlord is gonna be by to fix my shower in a little. I'll see you all tomorrow! Bye Tatsuki, Ichigo, Ishida, Chad and Rukia!"

They all waved. And Ishida stepped forward slightly.

"I thank you for the offer, but I have prior engagements."

Chad just looked at everyone for a second.

"Sorry."

The giant began walking off, causing everyone to shrug.

The three were in Rukia's apartment in minutes.

"You weren't kidding, you really don't have any furniture."

Rukia seemed sheepish.

"Sorry."

Neither Ichigo or Tatsuki seemed to mind, as they were already asleep on the floor of her living room.

A small smile crossed Rukia's face as she joined them in the land of slumber.

The three were sleeping peacefully, their bodies finally recovering from training when…

"**RRRRROOOOOAAAAARRRRR!**"

In an instant, all of their eyes were open. Ichigo and Tatsuki shared a glance before looking at Rukia who looked at them suspiciously.

"Wow, I can't believe we slept for four hours. Anyways, thank you Rukia, but both our parents will be worried sick."

Rukia just smiled at the two.

"I understand. Next time maybe we can be awake long enough to do something."

The second the two were out the door, Rukia sighed.

"I guess it's time to learn the truth."

Chapter 5 is done! I actually had a lot of trouble getting this chapter to flow right. It didn't help I started having trouble with word. Anyways, not much action in this chapter either and I'm sorry. However, it will be coming up, real soon.


End file.
